Complementary Colors
by LunchKing
Summary: FINALLY, this suckers over! Now to rest... and eventually make a series that takes place AFTER this story... oh boy... Splatoon's story is just about recovering some zapfish to restore the city's power, right? Don't you find that a little too one-sided? Wanting to learn about the other side inspired me to make a multi-narrator story! Enjoy!
1. Roy - Hoomy!

Perfect. Just perfect.

It's summertime and already I'm missing out on all the fun things I could do with all my friends. Instead of going to the movies, busting moves at the skatepark, or even lounging around at home all day, I'm forced to spend my entire summer with my crazy, brain-dead Uncle Thomas in the middle of Nowheresville. All the fun I could possibly have is now gone, all because my parents had to take a trip overseas for some sort of business thingy, I don't know. But here I was, standing at the doors of my crazy uncle with nothing but my bags and my sanity. I sighed as I rang the doorbell. As the door opened, I was greeted with an overly happy Uncle Thomas.

"Roy, my boy! So glad to see you!"

" _Suuuuuure. And I'm glad to see you too._ " I thought to myself as I let myself into his house. I enter the parlor, which was decked with a couple of things here and there, followed with a bunch of paintings and a couple of rugs. It's not exactly the most coolest thing I laid my eyes on. Then again, what more was I expecting from a house belonging to my idiot uncle? He tells me to rest in the parlor while he gets my room ready, which I do. I let down my bags and sigh, wishing my parents didn't have to attend to such a crummy business thingy. Why did that thing have to be oversees anyway? Just when things weren't as worse as they already were, a cat popped out of nowhere and started clawing at my bags!

"Hey! Get your claws off my bag, furball!" I yelled as I got up and ran after the cat.

I managed to shoo it away from my bags. They were partly scratched, but I'm sure the contents were unharmed. Just as the cat ran off into some other room, I heard Uncle Thomas calling me up. My room was ready.

Several hours after unpacking, I headed back down and into the kitchen for dinner. Waiting for me on my plate was just some lousy fish.

 _"Oh boy, today just got even BETTER._ "

"Sure is a nice dinner, isn't it Roy?" my uncle said with great enthusiasm as I barely even touch this slop. "...And the best part is that I have a ton of them, so we won't ever go hungry in this house!" After hearing that, I lost my appetite entirely and left the kitchen. "...Remember to brush your teeth before you go to bed!" he adds in with as much enthusiasm as before. "One more thing..." and this was the part where he really got me...

"Do not enter the basement. Do not even think about entering the basement."

...But seeing that there was nothing else left to do in this pile of trash, I decided to investigate the basement at midnight anyway.

I opened the door leading to the basement. I was really surprised by the ominous green hue that overtook the entire room, but that wasn't what caught my attention. There were bottles of strange liquid boiling with weird hues. A chalkboard with complicated equations sat at the back of the room. Papers were scattered everywhere, even in places that seemed inappropriate for them, like the ceiling. This was a complete shocker for me; I knew my uncle was crazy, but I didn't think he was an actual scientist! I scanned the entire room, completely amazed in all these weird things that my uncle had all along. Why didn't he tell me about all this? In the end, all my thoughts were focused onto one last thing I saw: a big red button.

I know how these things happen: a guy presses a button and causes some sort of apocalypse he wish he never created. There's nothing happening in this empty town, so I might as well make SOMETHING happen. I pressed the red button, which instantly resulted in a bright flash.

I was temporarily blinded, but managed to regain my sight. Before long, I found myself someplace dark. It was an alleyway, complete with graffiti here and there. I looked up at the sky and sure enough, it was nighttime. Despite it being nighttime though, the air was warm. This wasn't supposed to be part of the summer winds, it was really _WAY_ too warm. Just then, I heard footsteps. I found myself panicking, not because I wasn't in my uncle's basement anymore (I honestly could care less about that), but because I know this scenario all too well; by the time someone finds me, I'll probably be killed. I tried my best to hide, but I was cornered. The only thing offering me protection was a trash can. I guess it was better than death, so I took my chances.

Within the confines of the trash can, I managed to get a glimpse of the figure heading towards my direction. It was a little girl. No, it was a girl my height. Wait, no. This was no girl. At least, not human. She had pointy ears and fangs, while carrying what appeared to be a gun. I probably should've been panicking right now, but there's something about that girl and this place that makes me feel at ease. All that ease, however, completely escaped me when she opened up the trash bin and found me.

"Whao, squee!?" she said as she stepped back in shock.

Well, I've been found by a girl and judging by her looks, she probably wants to shoot me right now. I try avoiding this by pretending not to notice her. That did not make things any better, as she now has the gun right at my chest.

"Squeeme qeueo meei!?" she yelled at me with a look more intent on shooting me.

Well I ran out of cards to play, so I guess I've only got one thing to do...

"Who, me?" I asked her casually, finally "noticing" her.

Her glare suddenly shifted into a more friendly look. She gave me a punch on my shoulder and responded with a "Woomy!" I was curious. Why didn't she shoot me? Was it something I said, or was it something else? I decided to try something.

"Hoomy."

"Woomy!"

"Hoomy."

"Woomy!"

Well whatever the heck 'Hoomy' means, it seems to have calmed her down at least. After spouting some more gibberish at me, she finally grabbed my hand. I guess she needs to show me something? I decided to follow.

We were finally outside the alleyways and into a really bright town. Lights were everywhere in different shades and colors, and loud music played in the air. I appeared to be in the center of some sort of intersection, but oddly enough there were no cars. The only thing filling the streets were people who looked identical to that girl. Speaking of the girl, with the lights all around I was able to get a much clearer view of her. She was kinda tan and her gun wasn't actually a real gun. Her white-green hair looked like tentacles, and there seemed to be something black surrounding their eyes. Not only that, but she donned a crimson hoodie complete with black shorts and shoes. She got a good look at me too, but it didn't look like she had a pleasant view...

Of course, nobody in this town would. I don't have pointy ears, or fangs, or even that weird black thingy around their eyes. She eyed me carefully for another moment, and then spoke.

"Squeemie weem wee?" she spouted at me with more gibberish I can't understand.

"I'm sorry, could you say that again?" I asked her.

She then looked as if she just realized something. She then started pointing at herself.

"Lyra. _Ly~ra_!"

Lyra? Is that her name? That's a pretty snazzy name, but why is a girl like her named Lyra of all things? More importantly, how did I jump to _that_ conclusion? Judging by her weird appearance, I was expecting some weirder name like 'Nagisa' or something along the lines, but I guess to each of their own.

"Lyra?" I asked as I pointed to her. She nodded and smiled at me as if to say 'yes'. She then pointed at me. I guess she's now asking for _my_ name.

"Roy. _Ro~y!_ "


	2. Lyra - Dear Diary

_Dear Diary..._

 _Today was a rather surprising day for me. As usual, I hung out with my friends Linny and Gary. Together, we spent time talking about our usual stuff, like wondering what kind of weapon Sheldon would invent next or even when the next Squid Sisters album would come out. After lunch, we all turned to Inkopolis Tower for some quick turf war fun. We went together as a trio. Sure, going against 4 other inklings with only 3 is not exactly the best idea, but we were totally BOSS! I would catch those suckers from around corners when they least expected it, Gary could pick them off with his trusty charger, and Linny totally rolled them! I bet they saw her rolling, and started hating. Overall, things were pretty normal for me until that one turf war..._

"ZZZ..."

 _The three of us headed our separate ways, doing what we can to spread our ink all over the map. I was just doing usual business of covering the enemy ink, when suddenly a roller from above jumped down and prepared to splat me! I've been careless, I've forgotten all about that guy! Luckily for me, he ran out of ink, so I was safe. But that roller still managed to knock the gun right out of my hands. I ran over to my gun, which looked completely busted. The nozzle was crooked and the trigger popped off. Thankfully, he was kind enough to not take advantage of me while I was unarmed, but I can't help but feel crushed that my gun was... well, crushed._

 _After the match, I took my gun over to Ammo Knights and asked Sheldon about my gun's condition. I was scared that my gun would be beyond repair... And I guess I can jinx myself by thinking things, because that's EXACTLY what he told me about the gun. He told me he could order a new one for me, but that gun wouldn't arrive until tomorrow! That's stupid! He's the owner of a weapon shop, why doesn't he just give me another one!?_

 _But I digress... That gun WAS a special kind of gun after all. None of the everyday guns are like my now-broken one..._

"ZZZ..."

 _That night, I went into the alleyways to say my last farewells to my good ol shooter. I opened up the trash can and found something I was totally not expecting at all! I found a weird guy lurking around in a trash can! At first I thought he was a thief or something, but it was just another inkling. ...Or so I thought. Once I brought him to the center of Inkopolis, I got a clear look at him. He wasn't an Inkling at all! His ears weren't pointy, he had no fangs, he had no tentacles, no weapon... What IS he anyway?_

 _But I was able to find out a couple things about him. His name is Roy (I think) and he's clearly not from around here. I couldn't just leave him here, so I showed him around the place. Of course, not before getting him a disguise, as I thought there would be a disaster if anyone found out about him. I handed him some of the equipment I never bothered using. (Who knew they would come in handy one day?) Now he went from Roy the thingy to Roy the... thingy with a helmet. (OK, the helmet was the only piece I could find. But as long as nobody notices his 'missing features', I guess it's cool.) I introduced him to a couple of hot spots I hang out with my friends each day. I showed him the skatepark, the mall, and even the Squid Sisters! And finally, I was about to show him the greatest place of all, when suddenly..._

"ZZZ..."

OK, what the heck? I can't focus on writing my entry with that weird guy snoring so loud! I decided to drag him into my closet, where his snoring was much less noticeable. I took a deep breath, and continued writing...

 _That guy fell on the floor! I was shocked at first because I thought he was sick, but it turns out he was just sleeping! Who the heck sleeps at 2:00 AM!? This guy is really, really weird! I wasn't able to participate in another turf war anyway, thanks to my shipment coming in TOMORROW (I HATE YOU, SHELDON!), so I dragged him back to my house. This guy is certainly weird, but I hope I can find out more about him! I've never seen anyone outside of Inkopolis, and it makes me wonder if there are even more out there..._

 _\- Lyra_

With my last words written for tonight, I closed my diary. I laid my pencil right next to it, turned off the lights, and went to bed. Finding out about Roy was weird, but strangely awesome. It makes me wonder if there were any more outsiders just like him. What would they look like? What cool powers would they have? All those questions kept me from sleeping, but eventually I was able to rest...

"LYRA! LYRA! LYRA!"

Oh jeez, someone's trying to wake me up. Who could possibly be up at this hour?

"It's 8:30 AM! Give me 3 more hours!"

"LYRA! LYRA BODALKDA IKSOILA!"

What!? OK, that was totally NOT an Inkling talking to me. I finally mustered the will to get up, and saw Roy all bruised and splatted in purple ink.

"Yup," I told him, despite how he won't understand me. "That stuff happens in turf wars."

"LYRA MIDAKSOLA!" His tone now more angry, he pulled my arm and dragged me outside. Good thing I didn't bother changing into my pajamas last night, or else I would've attracted as much attention as he would without his helmet. He finally stopped at the center of town, which was obviously empty. He pointed at Inkopolis Tower in a panic. What, did he want me to take care of some bully that hounded him in a turf war? I patted him on the head and assured him that things would be alright once I took care of this freak. Even without that gun, I still had another weapon up my sleeve: a bucket. It may not look it, but it's actually a pretty powerful weapon. I charged towards the tower, ready to take on whoever batted down Roy. However, Roy pulled me back from entering the tower, pointing at it again furiously.

"What are you doing!? I'm trying to avenge you!" I yelled at him. He pointed at the tower again. I sighed as I decided to look at where he was pointing.

And then it hit me. He wasn't panicking because something was there. He was panicking because something **_wasn't_**.


	3. Marie - Keep Calm and PANIC!

"Without the power, we're all doomed!"

"We're all going to die!"

"Don't you mean get splatted?"

"NO! This is a fate worse than getting splat!"

Just great. I was on my way to work only to be blocked by a traffic of Inklings everywhere. But with the Great Zapfish suddenly gone, I guess I would be panicking too. But this was not the time to be panicking, at least not for me and my sister, Callie. The two of us made our way to the center of the plaza, which was not an easy feat to do, thanks to all the chaos and distress spreading through the crowd. When we finally reached the center, I tried calming the mass down.

"Everyone! Please calm down! I kn-"

"THIS IS THE END OF EVERYTHING I STAND FOR!"

"IF THIS IS THE END, I ADMIT THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO BROKE INTO YOUR HOUSE LAST NIGHT! I NEEDED THAT SPLATTERSHOT PRO BACK!"

"I ADMIT THAT I'M ACTUALLY A GUY!"

"I ADMIT THAT I LIKE THAT JELLYFISH POPSTAR MORE THAN THE SQUID SISTERS!"

"I ADMIT THAT I REFUSE TO ADMIT ANYTHING!"

"I ADMI- Wait, what kind of confession is that!?"

"EVERYONE! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!"

It was clear that nobody would listen. I turned to Callie, who then smiled and nodded at me. She pulled out a giant speaker and aimed it straight up into the air. After the flick of a switch, the speaker started revving up for a couple of seconds, and finally let loose an ear-piercing soundwave that finally broke the silence. Not one single Inkling made a sound. The only thing that could be heard were the sounds of cars driving by and the summer winds blowing. Finally, with all the attention I've garnered, thanks to Callie's 'Killer Wail', I cleared my throat.

"Yes, the Great Zapfish is gone!" I addressed loud and clear for everyone to hear. This was alot harder to do than announcing at the studio, since I could broadcast the sound with speakers everywhere. But with the power completely gone, I had to shout. "...But we will restore power to the city using our power reserves!" I felt the crowd breath a sigh of relief. Some were hugging each other, some were fist-pumping, some were smacking each other for confessing things nobody needed to hear. But even with the power in reserve, that power wouldn't last forever. "BUT!" I shouted to the crowd, and they all fell silent once more. "This power will not last forever; the reserves will only last us for 3 days!" And with that bit of disappointing news, everyone bursts into panic again.

"SO WE REALLY ARE GOING TO DIE!"

"I DON'T REGRET MY CONFESSIONS!"

"IT'S MAJORA ALL OVER AGAIN!"

Callie ripped out another Killer Wail and the crowd fell silent again. "Please!" my sister begged the crowd. "Remain calm! We have contacted the Squid Research Team to look into the situation! They will know what to.." All of a sudden, an Inkling blurted out something that no amount of assurance would ever hope to calm down a panicking crowd.

"THEY'RE GONE! THEY'VE GONE MISSING!"

Well, that's just _great_ news! And _WE'RE_ supposed to be the ones giving the news! The crowd once again fell into a state of panic. There was just nothing left for me to say that can keep the crowd calm after everything that just happened. Callie tapped my shoulder and suggested that we turn on the power reserve. I nodded as we both started making our way through the crowd and into the studio. Once we reach the studio, we see our TV crew just lounging around doing their own thing. It's great to know that despite the chaos happening, even the gang remains calm. The set was still as tidy as ever.

Callie and I made our way down into the studio basement, where it was almost impossible to see anything. Despite that though, we found the switch to the reserve. As I pulled the switch to the reserve, I felt Callie leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Good thing I thought of this, right?" she said in a sassy manner. I grin back. Callie's known to NOT ever have any good ideas, but this was one of the very few where I was thankful she thought something like this; having a backup power in case of a situation like this is really awesome, not to mention smart.

* * *

 _"Hold on to your tentacles!"_  
 _"It's Inkopolis news time!"_  
 _"Thanks to the power reserves, cleverly thought by yours truly,"_  
 _"Yeah, totally MY idea."_  
 _"...Inkopolis is ready to light up once more!"_  
 _"But we need to conserve power! If too much power is used up, this may only last us a single day! As such, we are temporarily banning Ranked Battles."_  
 _"Sorry for the bummers squids, but them's the brakes! Until next time everybody!"_  
 _"Stay fresh!"_

The two of us sat down at our usual resting place. Trying to calm down an entire crowd is real hard work. But thankfully, the town went back to its cheery, usual self. Speaking of usual, there were two Inklings staring at us from the window. Yup, that's a totally normal thing for the two of us. We waved back at both the one with a cool-looking hoodie and the one wearing a helmet that covered his entire face. I kinda liked that one, hiding someone's face makes them way, way cooler.

"See those two?" the hoodie Inkling said to the helmeted Inkling. "Those two are the Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie!" The helmeted inkling lifted his helmet to get a good glimpse of us. I could only get a glimpse of his eyes. Dang, this guy is mysterious! She pointed at my sister, then me as she slowly spoke. "Callie, Marie, Callie, Marie!" The helmeted one finally pointed at Callie. "Aori," he spoke. Callie got up and leaned against the window. "Silly squid!" she said to the helmeted Inkling. "I'm Callie!"

"Aori..."  
"Callie!"  
"Aori..."  
"Ca~llie!"  
"Aori!"

"I give up," she groaned casually as she walked back to her seat. "Sorry about him!" the hoodie Inkling said sheepishly. "He's not from here, he's from Squitzerland!" A foreigner too? OK now THAT'S about as mysterious as he can get. He then pointed at me and said, "Marie..." I waved back at him and grinned while Callie crossed her arms. The hoodie Inkling then grabbed his hand. "Come on!" she cried. "I still have to introduce you to my friends! We're gonna have a great time together with you as our fourth member!" The helmeted Inkling staggered as he tried keeping up with her, and the two vanished from sight.

"So, Aori," I spoke to my somewhat grouchy sister. "Whaddya say we head down to the valley after lunch?"

Callie proceeded to smack the back of my head. I couldn't help but chuckle at that.


	4. Roy - A RIGorous Battle

I was already worn out from this morning, but Lyra continued to show me around the city. Eventually, the two of us ended up in a small park. There wasn't alot much to do at the park, aside from the swings, the slide, the bars, and your typical picnic table. But even without a ton of activity, the park was still occupied by two other creatures like Lyra. One had light blue hair, scrunched up into a ponytail. It wore glasses, complete with a white shirt and tie. The other one had yellow hair and donned a cap and a T-shirt.

"Yeo Mee!" Lyra called out as she rushed towards the two. The two noticed her and started exchanging a couple of words with her. I assume they were her friends. After what seemed like half an hour, (or maybe it WAS half an hour,) she then walked up to me along with her two friends. "Linny," she said as she pointed to the yellow haired. "Gary," she said, pointing to the other. I would've normally said 'Hi' or something along the lines, but if they found out I wasn't from here, that would cause problems. Instead, I casually tipped my helmet (they didn't see my face, I hope) and smiled.

I extended both my arms and the two shook each of them. After the introduction, more discussions between the trio went on. Finally, this 'Linny' girl took my arm and placed it in front of me. Lyra and Gary joined their arm on top of mine, and Linny followed in last. After muttering a couple of 'Squee's and 'Weow mei mei's and whatnot, she then shot her hand into the air. "WOOMY!" she cried.

"WOOMY!" the other two chimed in as they followed her.

I kinda stood there, not sure what exactly we were supposed to be doing.

"Woomy!" Lyra told me. ...Nope, still don't have a clue. She then punched my shoulder. At that, I finally realized what I needed to do.

"Uh, Hoomy!" I chimed in as I threw my arm into the air alongside with them.

* * *

The four of us walked into a giant green tower located in the town plaza. I was real surprised when I stepped inside; the entire tower is actually one giant network of several 'elevators', which lead to a series of locations outside of town. The four of us walked up to what looked like a registration desk. Gary said, well something I guess, and whoever was behind the desk gave him a ticket. A number 34 was on the ticket. Thank goodness they retain numbers here. The three of them decided to pick a place to sit, and Lyra dragged me along with them. I took a look at all the other creatures who were also waiting like we were. Much like an airport, those creatures would huddle together in groups and wait until their departure was ready. I looked at the board listing the various locations. The text wasn't much help for me, as I couldn't understand a single word it said. Thankfully, they had numbers.

From what I could tell, there were two pictures: one of an oil rig in the middle of an ocean, and some sort of summer camp built in a lake. The numbers listed below the two were 1:00 - 4:59 PM. I looked at a clock which happened to be right next to where I was sitting. (How convenient.) Sure enough, it was 2:30 PM. I guess we'll be heading for one of the two places. Strangely enough, I noticed that none of these creatures had bags. If this wasn't some sort of 'elevator-port', then what is this? Before I could think any more of this weird tower, Lyra tapped my shoulder. I looked back and saw her standing with her two friends. She looked at both of them, and they looked at her fingers. On the count of three, all three of them instantly shrank into squids. They then grew back into the creatures I was familiar with, and all three made a sound that seemed to resemble a 'Ta-da!'

...I was not impressed. In fact, I was bothered by it. Not because it was freaky, but because a certain feeling started coming back to me. A feeling I never wanted to feel...

Anyways, after showing me that, Lyra and co. took me to the top of the tower. From there we were able to get a good glimpse of the plaza, but that's not what they brought me up here for. They showed me a screen, broadcasting what seemed to be a game going on. I looked at the monitor, and observed it carefully. After watching closely, I concluded that this was some sort of sport. Two teams went around covering the area with their paint color within a 3-minute period. It sounded simple enough, but if I'm supposed to be participating, then where's my tool? Lyra then handed me a bucket. It felt a tad bit insulting, but I suppose I can make do with this. Shortly, some gibberish spouting came from the intercom. The trio grabbed my hand as we headed back down. I guess we were up. My one regret was not looking more carefully at the screen though, as I was NOT prepared for what was to come...

* * *

The four of us were suddenly grouped up in an elevator. Nothing happened for a couple of moments, but it suddenly became dark. I just stood there and whistled some tunes just to kill time, but then we were outside almost instantly. We were standing in the rig, or rather I was. My supposed team mysteriously vanished. I looked down at the floor, which suddenly resembled less like an elevator and more like a launch pad, glowing lime-green for some reason. I suddenly heard a voice. This voice didn't belong to anybody I knew, but it clearly wasn't human. (I should probably be expecting this more often...) The voice then continued on rambling until he started yelling in a similar fashion of how an announcer of a boxing match introduces a fighter. At that moment, Lyra, Linny, and Gary suddenly popped out from the pad right next to me, waving around. A crowd cheered, yet there were no signs of anybody aside from the four of us anywhere. I'm starting to become really confused, are we being watched? Where's the audience? Why did my team's hair color change to a single color? More rambling came from the disembodied announcer. As he introduced our supposed opponents, they popped up from the other side of the rig. The crowd also goes wild for them.

They were purple. Great, now that feeling I didn't need is coming back even stronger than before...

Within seconds, an air horn went off and both teams darted for the center of the rig. I started to rush for the center too, but what could I do with a bucket? Smack it down their heads and hope they tumble and fall off the rig? My bucket was filled with a pretty limited green, so I guess I should use it wisely. Suddenly, I saw Linny spreading around ink with some giant paint roller. She looked back at me and smiled, but I saw someone purple following her. I tried to warn her, but I can't warn anyone who doesn't understand me. Within seconds, the purple fiend grabbed out a gun and took a couple shots at her from behind until she exploded. Nothing was left except her weapon, her T-Shirt, and her cap. Instantly, I dropped the entire bucket in complete shock.

"OH MY GOD! HE KILLED LINNY!"

I heard a sound from the pad. Linny emerged from the pad, completely unharmed. That's a huge relief, but what does that mean for me? I can't come back to life if I die, and there'll be more than just color to clean up if I explode! I decided to lay low for the moment, but suddenly got caught by an enemy wielding a bucket like I was. He splattered tons of purple paint all over me, which wasn't enough to make me explode thankfully, but was enough to blind me temporarily and knock me off my feet. He stood there slightly confused, then decided to slosh me some more. Despite all that sloshing, I was somehow able to keep my helmet on. He then spouted out a couple of gibberish, and three more purples surrounded me. They all ganged up on me.

I started taking a heavy beating from my back, courtesy of the purple with a roller much like Linny's, a bunch of bashing on the head from the one with what appears to be a sniper rifle, (I'm pretty sure that's NOT how a headshot works...) a bunch of shots on the back thanks to the one who killed Linny earlier, and constant sloshing on the face from the mentioned bucket purple. I was taking hits from the entire team! Thankfully I was still alive, but the pain kept getting worse as time went on; there were more sloshing, more bashing, more slamming, more... kicking? Excuse me, am I being kicked by one of them!?

I managed to get a good look at that brat who found it cool to kick me. It was bucket purple, who then started shifting from squid and back constantly. This guy is taunting me and I can feel it. Though I can't exactly tell, I could hear a faint gloat coming from this brat.

" _Look at me! Even if I die, I can return perfectly unharmed! I can turn into a squid and travel through paint! I can use a gun! Why don't you just crawl back into your squid form and ooze away back to mama? Oh, wait. YOU CAN'T! You can't shoot, you can't jump high, and you DON'T. COME BACK. **FROM THE DEAD!**_ "

That feeling came back as strong as ever. Now I was really angry.

There was only a minute left in the match. Music suddenly played throughout the entire rig to accommodate the situation. The looks on the purples went from menacing to completely dumbfounded, as they spent the entire match harassing me and NOT getting their paint all over the rig. They started to split up to cover their ground. The bucket purple tried going his own way, but I managed to grab him by the neck before he got away. He tried shrinking into a squid to slip away, but my grasp was even stronger than his sliminess.

" _SKA! SKA!_ "

As the music soared, so did my sudden hatred for the color purple. I thought the one punishment suitable for an annoying brat like him; I dragged him to the edge of the rig and dropped him down into the ocean, where he struggled to keep up with the water for only a couple seconds before dissolving into the ocean. I turned around, and found other purples who were not so smart. Their mouth agape, they tried running away. I managed to grab another one and thought the one down below needed company. I dropped the other purple and like the one before him, he struggled and dissolved.

I was surprised at first, but then grinned at the satisfaction of their 'deaths'.

" _SKA! SKA!_ "

I went after the other two, anger rising along with the music. I grabbed the purple with the paint roller and brought her to the edge.

 ** _10!_**  
 ** _9!_**  
 ** _8!_**  
 ** _7!_**  
 ** _6!_**

I took my sweet time showing her the wonders under the sea. She was praying that I let her go. Seeing that she's a squid, I hardly saw what the problem was: the sea is her home!

 ** _5!_**  
 ** _4!_**

I bid my last farewells to the sucker as I dropped her into the ocean. I still had one more to go, but thought that last kill was satisfying enough for me. I sat down completely tired of this match.

 ** _3!_**  
 ** _2!_**  
 ** _1!_**

That was the end. After a long 3-minutes of being beaten down by a bunch of random squid kids, I blacked out.


	5. Kurt - The Good ol' Days

I take a good ol' whiff of the salty air in what is now called 'Octo Valley'. I take a moment to gaze at the distant waterfall flowing under the octopus shaped rock formation. Blimey, do times change.

I still wait around, hoping for me trusty agents to return with the zapfish. ...And maybe some Crabby Cakes. They're delicious! Aside from wondering what me two agents would bring back, I stroke my beard, close my eyes, and tried reminiscing back to a simpler time... A time without all this nonsense swimming around. A time when there was no trickery or deception. A time...where I would hang out with me ol' friend...

* * *

 _"Mackerel! Someone's lying unconscious!"_  
 _"Urk..! Ow..."_  
 _"Well, at least he ain't dead. What a relief!"_  
 _"Ugh... What in the-"_  
 _"Ahoy, matey! You alright?"_  
 _"Ack! You! Get your slimy squid hands off of me!"_  
 _"Ya know, I think I deserve a better introduction than that."_  
 _"Fool! I will crush you from where you stand!"_  
 _"Well, good luck with that bucko!"_  
 _"Ha! You'll be sorry when you see what my- What? Where is my weapon? WHERE IS MY WEAPON!?"_  
 _"Yeah, about that. Found ya disarmed and lying around like a fish outta water."_  
 _"MY WEAPON! MY WEAPON!"_  
 _"Well, ya certainly won't be finding yers anytime soon. How 'bout you say hello to me little friend?"_  
 _"What the- you expect me to be afraid of a piece of bamboo? You have to be crazy if you think tha- ACK!"_  
 _"It don't hurt much, but it can sting in the right places bucko."_  
 _"I WILL get you back for this...!"_  
 _"Don't mention it, ol' pal."_

* * *

Me trip down good ol' memory lane was suddenly interrupted by a couple of noises coming from main grate. I leaned in closer to get a good listenin' to.

"Seriously, you HAVE to tell me," a young man's voice said. "Just HOW many Defense Ups does that guy even have!?"  
"I already told you, I don't know!" a little lass said. "He's just a cousin of mine from Squitzerland, that's all!"  
"I find it impossible that an Inkling like that can somehow take THAT much damage within two minutes and still live! He must be some super squid!"

Hmm... an Inkling who can take that kind of damage... Perhaps this may help me. I leaned in closer to listen more into their little conversation. I do wonder though, what kind of Inkling possesses that kind of power?

"More importantly, I noticed that he never once changed into a squid or super jumped anywhere during the entire match. I'm starting to think that this is no ordinary Inkling we have in our group..."

Never once changed into a squid or super jumped, eh? I've heard of creatures like that before, but I thought they were long extinct.

"Perfectly good explanation for that! He's just... Well... It's just his first time in a turf war! First time actually seeing a turf war too. He NEVER had a single turf war in his entire life, nor did he know about them!"  
"Wow, that's actually kind of weird."  
"Speaking of weird, isn't it also weird how we... Oh, you know... COMPLETELY BYPASSED A 'DO NOT ENTER' SIGN!?"  
"This 'DO NOT ENTER' clearly didn't mention about sewers. We're still fine going through here."  
"I have serious doubts..."

Bah, kids these days... Always ignoring the dangers that lie 2 inches before their noses. I ignored the rest of their conversation and went back in time...

* * *

 _"That's it!? You're just going to shoot me once and that's it!?"_  
 _"Bucko, I don't think yer gettin' the big picture here."_  
 _"Wha?"_  
 _"Think about it... Why fight for land when we already HAVE land?"_  
 _"What are you saying, fool?"_  
 _"I can see it through yer face. Yer sick of fighting for something when there's an easier solution. And quite frankly, so am I."_  
 _"I don't follow you."_  
 _"See, we have the stuff to build all these fancy war machines and guns, right? If that's so, why don't we build more land?"_  
 _"What?"_  
 _"Think about it: with all these watchamacallits goin around I reckon we can build ourselves our own sustainable land!"_  
 _"That's impossible. Even with the land, how are we going to find food?"_  
 _"Boy, yer looking at a man who knows a thing or two about potted plants."_  
 _"Potted plants? What the heck are you talking about?"_  
 _"If ya follow me, I can show you some more things."_

* * *

"Alright, we're finally outta- oh boy, this ain't Inkopolis, is this?"

Yet again, me trip be interrupted by these scalawags. The young man emerged up from the grate and ran up to me.

"I'm very sorry, sir!" he said in a panic. "We didn't mean to intrude this place! Forgive us!"  
"WE!? DID YOU JUST SELL US OUT TO HIM!?"

"I knew about yer business before he popped his head out. Come on up here." I said to the voice.

The two lasses popped out of the grate and lined up next to the boy. Both of them apologized and begged for forgiveness. I guess they still have respect for the elderly in this age.

"This is a very unsafe area," I told the three. "Yer better off heading back to town."

"We will, sir!" all three of them said as they ran back to the grates.

"Hold up, I still want to talk to this one lass," I said.

"Good luck with the old man Lyra, we'll meet up again at the mall if you're still alive!"  
"WAIT! DON'T LEAVE!"

It was just me and her... She turned around and sighed. "Fine, what is it?" she asked me in a rather annoyed fashion. Hmmph, well I never! I cleared me throat and began speaking...

"About this one... Cousin of yers... I was wondering if you could bring him over here tomorrow."

The lass then started panicking. "What? But you said this was dangerous! He can't handle all thi-" I stopped her there. "Young lass," I assured her, "I know the situation with yer friend already. Judging by yer looks, it seems he ain't no Inkling at all. So here's the deal: you and yer two other friends can come back here, but make sure ya bring yer 'cousin' along. I'm sure I can tell ya what he really is." The girl's eyes gleamed. "You can?" she said in amazement. With that, she shook my hand in agreement and went off. "I'll be sure to return tomorrow with him!" she said before she was long gone.

Hmm... A creature similar to our species, yet it can't turn into a squid. If I remember correctly, that species was a human...

* * *

 _"What is all this?"_  
 _"Surprised, aintcha? I found a couple of ol' documents about some things, like a farm."_  
 _"A 'farm'? What is that?"_  
 _"Apparently, that's how they grew endless amounts of food."_  
 _"They?"_  
 _"Oh yeah, forgot to mention we weren't the first ones here. A race known as the humans once lived here. If we can recreate their machines, we may live a peaceful life like they once did!"_  
 _"Amazing... And with that potted plant idea, that's how you plan on living your life?"_  
 _"I sure do, bucko. I can't afford to fight anymore. Not when there's a new opportunity waiting for us."_  
 _"Us?"_  
 _"Yup! I'm getting out of this ugly trench, and yer coming along with me! ...Or would ya rather stay in this dark trench?"_  
 _"Ugh, I wouldn't want to be here any longer than you."_  
 _"That's the spirit! I guess we'll be working together from now on! What's yer name matey?"_  
 _"My name is Owen."_  
 _"Well welcome aboard then, Owen! You can call me Cuttlefish. Kurt Cuttlefish!"_


	6. Agent 1 - Mission Log 10

**_Mission #10_**

 ** _Capture the target:_**

 ** _The target was last seen roaming around in the park heading straight to Inkopolis. Capture the target, then bring it back to Octo Valley without any witnesses._**

Identifying target. The target is currently walking down the park is and making its way through the main skating area. The target has yet to notice that it is being pursued. Target is unarmed, currently not checking its surroundings for anything suspicious. Conclusion: my sneaking skills are amazers.

Message incoming. "How long are you going to stand there? We need to catch that guy!"  
Input response: "I'm on it, Marie!"

Eep! Forget you read that! That is NOT a member of a popular pop duo who also happens to be my cousi-

 **DISREGARD. EVERYTHING. I SAID.**

Continuing to mission, already in progress. Target is now currently sitting on bench. Target is thinking about things. There must be something within the target's mind that makes it so crucial for the mission. Perhaps this is the main reason I am on this mission: to retrieve secrets within target.

"C'mon, he's just standing there! Go get him!"  
"Sorry, I kinda lost it for a second there."  
"Don't think over this too hard. We just have to bring him over to the captain."  
"Right, like gramps has anything to do with him..."

I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH A GRANDFATHER. HE'S WAY TOO OLD AND UNFRESH!  
...Back to mission currently in progress...

Target gazes up in the air. Target is completely hopeless. I aim my gun right at him.

"Agent 1, do you copy?"

Crosshair proportioned within target. Prepare to say goodnight...

"AGENT 1, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!?"

Preparing to pull trigger...

"CALLIE!"

Input response: "Shush! Don't call me that! We're out in the open and anybody could be nearby!"  
Awaiting response: "...Yeah, but I think there's something more important than our target at the moment..."  
"What could possibly be important that we have to abandon the current mission?"  
"You might wanna look at this..."

A sound of clashing metal has occurred within vicinity. Target is now walking over to inspect source of noise.

Target has currently moved into enclosed area containing a crashed UFO. Inspecting area...

Area fully scanned. One threat detected: Octoling within parameter. Octoling is armed, and appears to be attempting to reconstruct UFO. Insufficient materials.  
Analyzing Octoling... Analysis complete: Octoling is wearing high-tech goggles which may or may not see in the dark. Her armor is metal, but thin.  
Target is walking towards Octoling. Target must be really, really stupid. Target taps onto Octoling's back.

Recording conversation:  
"Oh, well this is a surprise!"  
"Gmarumph!"  
"Hah! I thought I sent you packing yesterday. I kicked you real hard and yet, you still stand in my way. How brave."  
"...Urrgph..."  
"You know, you're pretty good for an Inkling. You're pretty alert, pretty durable, and you also wake into action at the right times."

Target does not respond.

"At first I thought it'd be boring to take that Zapfish right off your slimy hands while you were snoozing, but I can clearly see you're different. You're formidable. You're fun."

Octoling has now pulled out weapon. Target is in peril.

"Agent 1, do something!"  
"Too bad it won't change the fact that you're a poor, poor fighter."

Target has taken multiple shots of purple ink from Octoling. Target is still standing. Target is now growling.

"Oh, right. You're somehow immune to ink. How about I try this, then?"

Octoling is transforming into octopus. Octoling currently hiding within purple ink. Target is struggling to locate her. Octoling emerges from behind and kicks him down.

Recording conversation:  
"Hah! Even with your power, you STILL can't find me!"  
"Grrrng!"  
"Reminds me of that one time I pulled that trick on you that day. You were pretty surprised, yes? That dumb look on your face was priceless."  
"GRAGH!"  
"Here's a little tip for you, punk: don't make ripples when you're swimming. It'll really help out."

Octoling pulls out what appears to be a Zapfish. Regrettably, not the Great Zapfish, but this'll keep a fair portion of the city alive.

"And with that, I bid you farewell, foul creature. I hope that tip makes you less of a pathetic loser and more of a worthy foe."

Octoling inserts Zapfish into the UFO. The UFO is regaining power and is now fully functional. Immediate urge for popcorn arising.

"Cal- Agent 1, she's getting away! Do something!"  
"Negative, Agent 2. This man must learn how to fight."  
"...You're just saying that just to see how this unfolds."  
"C'mon, Ma-Agent 2, this is just like that one show we watched as kids!"  
"...Fine. Since that UFO doesn't look like it'll go far anyhow, I'll standby."

UFO is fully functional, however not operating at optimal performance. Analyzing damage... Analysis complete: UFO cannot go above 15 feet above ground.

Even outside reach, target finds a way to damage the craft. Target gathers scattered stones around the area and proceeds to hurl them at the craft as his projectiles. UFO is unstable. UFO eventually falls.

Target is now heading to the cockpit of the UFO. Target manages to kick the glass open. Octoling located.

Recording conversation:  
"Tch! So persistent you are, you know that? Why can't you just give us back what we rightfully owned!?"  
"Grrmph..."  
"And why don't you start speaking words, damn you!"

Octoling attempts to remove helmet off target. Target manages to stop Octoling and instead rips off her goggles, unmasking her.

Octoling now retreating in complete panic, running off into the park.

Target is now inspecting the remains of the UFO. Target is now currently digging through the craft and uncovers the Zapfish.

Incoming Message:  
"Shall we make our move now?"

Inputting Response:  
"Yuppers! Let's go nab that Zapfish AND our target!"

Target has disappeared from the area. The fission was a mailure.

 _ **FISSION MAILED**_

...

...

...

Incoming Message:  
"So, how'd the mission go?"  
"We failed to capture the target, sir..."  
"Wha- Capture!? I told ya to bring him here at his own accord, not against his own will!"  
"See Callie? I TOLD you we didn't have to sack him!"  
"Well, as long as he can make it here, that'll do. Just make sure he gets here tomorrow."  
"Understood, Cap'n!"  
"Great. Now whaddya say we go out and get some Crabby Cakes for dinner?"

 **Mission updated: Bring target to landing area in Octo Valley**

"Well, I guess that's all we can do for now."  
"But what about that zapfish?"  
"That _does_ seem to be a problem, but I think I can trust it with him."  
"You sure?"  
"He's got a clear hatred for the Octarians. I think we can trust him."  
"Alright, just get back before 8:00. We've gotta announce the next two stages!"  
"Over and out, Marie!"

...

WAIT. THAT IS NOT MARIE. THAT IS AGENT 2.

I MEAN THAT IS JUST MY ASSOCIATE COUSI- SISTE- I'M NOT CAL-

I SAID TOO MUCH! _END TRANSMISSION! **END TRANSMISSION!**_

 **End Transmission**


	7. Gary - A Dim Light for Linny

Without the Great Zapfish to power the entirety of Inkopolis, our electricity was cut out. Well, if I had to choose between nightlights or Turf Wars, I'd go with Turf Wars. Besides, this gave us more time to hang out inside Lyra's treehouse. When we were alot younger, we used to hang around at the treehouse that stood in her backyard. We'd play some fun games, talk about a variety of things, and sometimes gaze up at the stars and wonder if there was a lot more we didn't even know yet... Of course, Linny didn't like hanging around at the treehouse. Don't get her wrong, she likes all that stuff. She just... well, rather has a strong distaste for camping out at night; she's afraid of "nightstalkers"...

Lyra was already fast asleep, so it was just me and Linny gazing out into the stars. "Stupid Zapfish Theif!" Linny pouted. "I would've been nice and safe from the night monsters if they hadn't stolen it! Who would take away the power and leave me defenseless against who-knows-what?" I kept my hands on hers. "Don't be afraid," I assured her, "Just keep hold of my hand, and you'll be fine." Linny took a strong grip at my hand. Though it does hurt, I felt content with the full knowledge that I can help my friend overcome her phobia. To help pass the time until she starts falling asleep, I talked with her about a memorable time.

"Say Linny, remember when we first met each other?" I asked her. She seemed to have fully calmed down, instantly forgetting about her paranoia. "Yeah, that was on the first day of summer camp at Triggerfish." I started laying down, getting a perfect glimpse at the heavenly stars above. "You still remember how that song went, right?" Linny groaned. "Oh please, that was really, really corny."

I then took a deep breath. "Ooooooooooo~"

"Please, tell me you're not gonna sing that..."

"Hey, don't be like that! I liked that song."

"Fine. I kinda did like your singing back then."

 _Oooooooo~h_  
 _Lock and load, hit the road_  
 _Fulfill your greatest wish_  
 _Triggerfish, Triggerfish,_  
 _Pull that trigger, fish!_  
 _We swim the seas, climb the trees_  
 _Those moments we relish_  
 _Triggerfish, Triggerfish,_  
 _Pull that trigger, fish!_

 _No seabear will keep us frozen in our tracks,_  
 _No searhino ever will throw us off our backs,_  
 _There's no creature of the dark, whether nasty bite or bark,_  
 _That will ever take us down so long as we're on the attack!_

I started feeling Linny's hand uncontrollably gripping my hand tighter. I almost forgot, she had an incident at that camp on the first night that involved getting lost in the woods. That was what started her fear of the dark. We had to cut that part off from the camp song to keep her calm. I could suddenly hear her breathing heavily. I guess that fear of the 'nightcrawlers' finally came back. My stupid mouth...

"Sorry about that, how about this?" I decided to try telling her a joke. "We sometimes do Turf Wars on it, and Spyke is never without it. What am I thinking of right now?" Linny took a good ponder at this. "Uh, I dunno." she finally gave up. Well that was no fun, she didn't even guess a single time. Regardless, I tell her the answer: "Urchin Underpants!" That paranoia filling her entire body was suddenly replaced with huge fits of laughter. It was relieving to calm her down again. "Wow, that was funny!" she said. "Tell me another one!"

"Alright." I tell her. "Let me think..."

 _So, an Inkling walks into a doctor's office to get his tonsils removed and the doctor performs an operation on him._

Her hand started shaking again... Crab, forgot she hates doctors. Maybe I should get to the punchline quick.

 _During the operation, the doctor accidentally cuts him in half. But after removing the left side of his body, he was all right!_

"Stupid Gary!" she started pouting, "You're making things worse!" her hand now clenching mine tighter than ever. If I don't do something quick, she may yank my hand out of my arm.

Luckily, I remember bringing a flashlight with me before visiting the treehouse. Why I never thought of bringing it out before, I will never know. But with the light here, this will really calm her down. I turned the light on and flashed it on the wall. Her attention shifted from her fear to the light. Her gaze completely overtaken by the huge, yet limited light, I decided to amaze her with some of my shadow puppet skills. I arranged my fingers and placed them before the light. At first, she jumped.

" _Meow~ Do not be afraid, it's only me! Judd!_ "

She then approached the light again. "Wow, that is cute! Do another!"

 _"Yarr! I'll be taken ye down to tha lockers today!"_

"Cool, a pirate!"

 _"You are vigilant, Pirate-Kun. But can your blade match my shurikens?"_

"Wow, a ninja!"

"Whoa, that looks like Annie!"  
"Ha, that's a good looking Jelonzo!"  
"A heavy splattling! I've always wanted one of those!"  
"It's a kid now!"  
"It's a squid now!"  
"Holy- ROY!? Gary, how did you do that!?"

Roy? My shadow puppet was supposed to resemble Sheldon. What gave her that i-

"Hao!" a voice said. I looked back and my jaw completely dropped. It was Roy, not really surprising. But he was holding a Zapfish, and that was surprising! I was at a loss of words... "Roy... How in the Cthulu did you even get that?"

"I told ya..." an extremely drowsy Lyra replied, "He's from Squitzerland, home of the greatest Inklings ever..." Roy brought over the Zapfish into the treehouse and noticed that Linny was carefully eyeing it. He decided to hand the Zapfish to her. She hugged the Zapfish, feeling it's light and warmth as she drifted to sleep. Though somewhat jealous, I am thankful Roy came in; my hands were getting tired after all that. Roy picked a corner from the treehouse and napped there.

"Squitzerland, huh?" There's something fishy about that, and it's NOT the Zapfish that's fishy. I pulled out my SquidPhone and did a search on Squitzerland.

...Hmm? Was I seeing things? I must be sleep-deprived. I refreshed the page. Sure enough, I got this:

 _ **0 results found for Squitzerland.**_

The next morning, the four of us headed to the cafe for a quick breakfast. We each got our own meals (Lyra had to split hers with Roy though,) and discussed some things.

"Wow," I said to Lyra, "You are the only Inkling I know in this entire world who introduces someone to the Squid Sisters 3 times. Are you sure you're not into Squidsistism?"

Lyra briefly turned bitter. "It's not a religion, it's a thing that Roy needs! It'll make him fresh! ...Aside from a healthy dose of pancakes."

"Speaking of what Roy needs..." I looked around to make sure that we were the only ones here. The cafe's policy was self-service, so I didn't have to worry about any cashiers. When the coast was clear, I took off Roy's helmet, revealing his _true_ identity. Both Lyra, Linny, and Roy gasp in surprise.

"Not that I don't trust you as a friend, but you're going to tell me EXACTLY what's going on..."


	8. Lyra - The Last Human?

"Alright, so it all started when we were talking about that new Deco-Roller that just rolled in this week..."

"I know, we were with you that time," Gary replied, "Next."

"So I had to replace my broken gun with a new one over at Ammo Knights..."

"Next! And by the way, did you get your replacement yet?"

I pulled out my freshly new modified Splattershot and grinned at him. "Go on..."

"Then I introduced him to you guys the following day..."  
"Whoa, go back to when you first met him."  
"Oh yeah, it was when I was in that Turf War with you guys. My gun broke and then..."  
"Too far back. Go to when you _met_ him."  
"I was shocked to see that he could fly!"  
" **WHOA, SPOILER ALERT!** Too far ahead, go back!"  
"Well, then what do you need me to tell you about him?"  
"Just tell us when you _FIRST MET HIM_."

We were in the sewers. Again. Only this time, we had Roy coming along with us. Thanks to the Zapfish he somehow got yesterday, we were able to see clearly through the darkness. Of course, it wasn't dark enough that Linny would outright panic to, but it made navigating through it much easier. Gary and Linny both kept gazing at Roy, now fully exposed without his helmet on. It's pretty uneasy at first sight, but I think he's safe. In fact, I think he likes me!

After recapping the events of finding Roy for the first time, we finally found the exit and made our way up the grate. Of course, it wasn't before we had to scale a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, ladder, which took a really long, long, long, lo- you get the point. After all that unnecessary climbing, we were standing outside in the 'dangerous area' that the old man from yesterday was talking about. Oddly enough, the old man wasn't anywhere to be found. Where was he?

I never noticed this before, but now that I get a clear view of the place, this area is actually a bunch of floating ground clustered into one area above a trench! One land mass had all these electric poles while another had ramps from a skatepark! Whoever built this place must have been really, really awesome! I also noticed the board full of photos standing in front of the four of us. Some of these pictures had really weird things, like crazy machinery and creatures I've never seen in my life! I looked at Gary, who seemed to enjoy trying to piece together what all this was. Linny was just gazing out into this oddly bizarre scenery, completely overtaken by its beauty.

Roy's face suddenly turned rather sour. Not the kind of sour when your best friend one-ups you and you're bothered but still cool with it, but the kind of sour where you wanted someone to die. He walked over to the board where Gary was standing and ripped a photo off of the board. The photo was some weird alien girl holding onto a gun, similar to the ones we use during Turf Wars. He clenched the photo in his hand, crumpling the photo. Gary took it away from his hand and quickly placed it back on the board.

"What the heck, Roy!?" he cried as he slapped his hand. "We don't know who these belong to!"

"They belong to me." A voice from behind us said. Sure enough, it was that old man from yesterday, all captain hat and tattered cloth complete with a cane.

He walked up to Roy, carefully observing his (lack off) fangs, tentacles, pointy ears, the usual stuff we Inklings have. "Well now," he spoke. "This here's a real deal human alright..." ...Wait a minute, did he say HUMAN? Hold up, so you mean to tell me that Roy is actually a HUMAN!? ...Wait, what's a human?

"Humans..." Gary muttered... "A long race of creatures that once thrived here. They had advanced technology and amazing weaponry that we Inklings have built off of in society. Nobody knows what wiped out their existence, but they left their relics and machines behind for us to use. Today, we live in a world that is much similar to theirs 2 million years ago..." 2 million!? Dang, that's a long time! "Gary, how do you know about this?" I asked him. Gary gave me a funny look. "Are you kidding!? We studied this in history class before we got out for summer!" Wow, completely forgot about that...

"Well," the old man spoke, "Regardless of what yer history books tell ya, I can assure ya that this here's a human, no less! The question is: How did he live this long?"

"How indeed," replied Gary. The two of them began pondering... "Well, whatever the case," the man continued, "I'm pretty sure the four of ya will make fine members." I smiled at that. The four of us standing all proud against the world: a skilled charger, a rowdy roller, a mysterious human from the past, and good ol' me!

"Wait," I said, "Four of us as members? Of what?" The old man started walking up to me. "Well, if I'm not mistaken, you three are the trio that always goes up against others in Turf Wars without a fourth member, correct?" I nod at him. "That's pretty commendable, but along with this human you'd be pretty strong, no?" Well looking back at Roy's performance in Turf Wars yesterday, I can only see him as a shield for us... Not exactly the most exciting role to play.

"I also saw him walking around the park. Despite how hard he took those shots, he managed to stop that Octoling and take that Zapfish!" he added. Well, that answers how he got the Zapfish, but I still don't understand one thing. "What's an Octoling?" I ask him.

He pointed over to the photo Roy was crumpling a moment ago. "Those Octolings are just like you and me, although they're more octopus-like rather than squid. These Octarians want revenge for the Great War that happened years ago..." I think I finally began to understand... "And you believe that they took the Great Zapfish?" I asked him. He walked over to the edge, gazing at weird rock formation towering just at the edge of the valley. "I believe so... Which leads me to ask you this." The old man approached me and pulled out some sort of uniform. "Would the four of ya consider joining the Squidbeak Splatoon?"

"What!?" screamed Gary and Linny together. This was really weird; we're being asked to join a group that supposedly fights these 'Octarians'...

"But Roy doesn't even have a weapon!" I added, "Won't that be a problem for him?"

"I'll work something out." The old man said. "So, do we have a deal then?"

"If it means getting the Great Zapfish back, count me in!" Linny replied. "I suppose this threat can't reach Inkopolis... Count me in too." Gary replied. I didn't know what to say. On one hand, being a secret agent is cool! We get to go around gunning bad guys and retrieving tons of cool things. But on the other hand, he DID say this was dangerous for us. Not to mention, Roy doesn't know how to use weapons! He kinda flopped over during bucket duty in that one match, but his distraction completely made up for that. So...

"If yer worried about Roy, I understand..." he said. "But rest assured, I will make sure he can fight alongside ya." If I don't fight now, these Octarians are going to take over the city... "Alright." I finally said.

"Then it's settled! Starting tomorrow, you four will all be members of the Squidbeak Splatoon!" He each gave us our own uniforms. They looked awesome, but isn't this supposed to be a crossing guard's uniform? I was expecting something alot cooler, but at least the headpiece was a nice touch. "Get some rest," he said. "Tomorrow won't be like your average Turf War game."

The old man walked over to Roy, still gazing angrily at the crumpled photo. I guess he really hates those Octarians. "Speaking of Roy, I'm gonna need that Zapfish." He extended his arm towards Roy. Roy notices the old man and his arm. He looks at the Zapfish he held onto during our trip through the sewers. "Yup, that one." he added as he pointed to it. He was kinda reluctant, but Roy eventually gave him the Zapfish. It was now official that the four of us needed to be back here tomorrow to finally take on the very threat that would tear Inkopolis apart. Linny and Gary headed back down into the sewers to return to town, dragging Roy along with them.

But I stayed. "Hold on," I said, "I didn't get your name."

The old man suddenly jumped. "Oop, how rude of me! That be Cap'n Cuttlefish!"


	9. Linny - How to be an Inkling Agent

Omigosh, Omigosh, OMIGOSH! Finally, I get to be the narrator of the story! Not only that, but we're also gonna be super secret agents starting TOMORROW! THAT IS LIKE, SO AWESOME! But now's not the time to be fantasizing about such trivial matters, now's the time to begin our training regimen!

"Alright Kid and Squid, LISTEN UP!" I barked at both Gary and Roy. "This training facility will not only test your skills and strength as an individual, but as a team! I want the both of you to pull your weights once we get onto the battlefield, YOU GOT THAT!?" Omigosh, I was like the best sergeant ever!

"Hold on a minute," Gary spoke up, "Aren't you taking this way too far? I mean you do know that this is actually the basketball court behind the weapons store, and that we were told to wait here while they finished making the necessary gear for Roy." I thought about it for a little bit, but it wouldn't be fun if I wasn't acting like this. Plus, It'll help out the two, since they hardly know each other! "Alright," I told him. "As a good friend of yours, I'll try and keep it as easy as possible. NOW FLOP AND GIVE ME FIFTY!" Gary instantly shrank into a squid, already getting started on his squidups. I turned over to Roy, who was trying to hide his shyness under his helmet.

* * *

 **Regimen 1: Squid Form**

I'm pretty confident that Roy can do it, just like everybody else! After all, he basically came from a time when he was the ruler of the world. He even managed to take several shots back in that one turf war without getting splatted a single time! Despite all those odds, he still wasn't willing to do his squidups. I sighed, this was going to take a long time...

I walked up to him and removed his helmet. "You can do it, trust me." I assured him. I took a couple steps back so he could watch me perform it. "Just follow me lead," I told him. He looked at me, ready to follow my movement.

"Step 1: Just breath." I stood there, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. I opened up a little just to see if Roy was paying attention. Sure enough, he was completely focused on me. Good job, rookie.

"Step 2: Think squid thoughts." I pictured myself squirming around in my ink, swimming about from place to place. And when my mind was finally all squiddy...

"Step 3: Let go of all your worries..." I leaned forward and felt my body falling. Just as I hit the ground, I instantly turned into a squid. Roy, still watching me, was rather worried. I picked up my body, instantly transforming back into my original form. "Alright, now you try!" I told him. Roy was sweating nervously, but I'm sure he could do it! He finally mustered up the courage to try it for himself. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He released all his worries and inhibitions, and then leaned forward...

"Forty-eight... Forty-nine... Fifty!" Gary finally finished his squidups, completely tired from his regimen. "Alright, I'm done. How's Roy do- what the!?" He looked down at Roy, who was ACTUALLY doing the squid form! He was face-down on the ground, his body was completely motionless, and he's all relaxed! He's done it!

"Well done, Roy! Now all you gotta do is practice Step 2, and then you'll turn into a squid for sure!" I told Roy.  
"...I don't think he's doing it..." Gary said. "...Nor do I think he ever will."  
"Aoauoagh..." Roy moaned.

* * *

 **Regimen 2: Communication**

"Alright, listen up chums!" I barked at the two of them. "Communication is crucial on the field of battle! If for some reason we are found in a dangerous situation or have found a point that others can take advantage of, you two clearly need to know how to ping others on the fly! As such, I am giving you two codes to work with: 'C'mon' and 'Booyah'!"

"Hang on a second..." Gary pointed out. "These are the same codes used during Turf Wars! Linny, I know you're excited about this, but we can't treat this like another game; we need to be serious about this." I was serious about this! These codes are important! "As our first exercise, I need Gary to walk behind the wall. Then shout out the phrase 'C'mon' to get Roy to follow you." Gary was a little hesitant, but eventually obeyed, walking behind the wall. After a few moments, a 'C'mon' bellowed from behind the wall. I looked back at Roy, who was looking right back at me. If he was waiting for orders, then that was his order. "Well?" I said to him, "What are you waiting for?"

Roy just stood there, trying to process all this information. Look Roy, it's not that hard. C'mon means 'come on', which means 'follow me', which means STOP STANDING THERE LIKE AN IDIOT AND FOLLOW ME! Roy just kept staring at me, as if awaiting more commands. I pointed at the wall Gary was standing behind. He only stood there, unaware of the task.

"OK, let's try moving on to the next code. Give me a Booyah!"

This time, Roy knew exactly what to do. Except he did it wrong.

"Tsuyah!" he hollered back at me. That prompts him a slap from my hands. "No, no, no! It's 'Booyah', not 'Tsuyah'! Try that again. BOOYAH!"

"Tsuyah!" he hollered again. We were going to be here all day long...

"Dammit Roy, give me a BOOYAH!"  
"Tsuyah!"  
"BULLSQUID, ROY! GIVE ME A BOOYAH!"  
"TSUYAH!"  
"BOOYAH!"  
"TSUYAH!"

"Cool, a screaming contest." Gary peeped from behind the wall. You're not making it any better, Gary!

* * *

 **Regimen 3: Shooting With Guns**

"Alright maggots, final regimen! DO NOT FAIL!" Gary immediately pulled out his Charger, took aim at an inflatable dummy and popped it in one swift shot. Roy just stood there, quite amazed at Gary's amazing skills. Of course, I wouldn't expect less of good ol' Gary! "Your turn, boy!" I barked at him, "Show me what you've got!" Of course, Roy just stood there like the idiot he was during our previous regimen. I thought if I smacked some sense into him, he would finally understand that this is a serious training moment!

"Hold up!" Gary cried out to me, "His weapon is still being developed!" Such a lousy excuse for a warrior from the age of old! I was going to see him destroy that dummy, or else.

"Finished!" a voice suddenly cried from behind me. It was Sheldon, who walked over to Roy handing him what appears to be a pair of shoes. "One deluxe propulsion boot, complete with built-in cushion for your crippled friend! Now he can super jump without any problems whatsoever!" Roy looked at the robotic shoes, decked with amazing glowing lights, ink-tanks attached to the heels, and overall a cool design than the ones I see at Shrimp Kicks. Dang, now I want Sheldon to make me footwear!

"Don't be shy, put em' on!" Gary ushered Roy. Roy looked at both Gary and Sheldon, both looking back at him with anticipation of his new shoes and what they will provide him. Realizing this, (took him long enough!) Roy then took off his old shoes and got into his new ones. "Alright, now try jumping." Sheldon then told Roy. Of course, Roy couldn't understand a single word he was saying. Sheldon then tried jumping, as if teaching a baby squid how to jump. This was just sad...

"Linny, don't forget that he's still a foreigner," Gary told me. I guess he must have seen my sour side. And dang right he should; Roy's completely useless at this point!

Finally understanding what he needed to do, Roy then bent down. He was finally ready to start his very first jump. His boots started glowing rapidly and ink started coming out from the soles of his shoes. As he jumped he soared! ...5 inches off the ground. The shoe was a complete fluke!

"Gao... Maokigalod-GAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Suddenly, his shoes started gushing tons of ink as he was sent straight into the air. During his ascension, he was able to control where he would land by moving his feet in the opposite direction of the gushing ink. When the ink finally stopped, he was falling straight into the dummy! With one good kick, he completely gushed that dummy into pieces! Of course, the gushing from his shoes also sent him back against the wall. Jeez, that looks like it hurt.

Despite all that, he was still content with his kick. He gave out a weak "Ngyesh!" before collapsing onto the ground.

"Well then, I guess he won't be needing a gun then," Sheldon said, eyes widened at what he just witnessed. "Now... Moving onto the price..."

Suddenly, an Inkling with a beanie and sunglasses popped right out of nowhere and snatched Roy's shoes right off his feet! "I'll take those!" she gleefully said as she made her way back inside Ammo Knights. Roy instantly woke up and gave chase, completely ignoring the fact that he was barefoot!

"Oh jeez, this is bad!" Gary cried.  
"Yeah," I added, "Without shoes, he'll suffer some serious foot damage!"

* * *

 **Final Regimen: Capture That Thief!**

That shoe was expensive, and Roy was not going to waste my money losing it to some stranger! I decided to tag along with him on apprehending this cheeky thief! She dipped into the sewers, but there was only one place to go! She had nowhere else to hide! We followed her back into the valley and saw her throwing Roy's shoes into a giant kettle.

"Want it back badly? Come and get it!" she taunted Roy.

Roy, now more mad than that one time, dove into the kettle where his shoe fell into. The girl suddenly dusted her hands and walked away casually. "Mission Completed!" she said with a smile.

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU MEAN 'MISSION COMPLETED'!?" a voice screeched from behind her. It was Lyra, standing with her arms crossed and looking more crossed than Roy could ever be. "YOU JUST STOLE HIS SHOES AND THREW HIM INTO A KETTLE! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHERE THAT GOES!?" The hoodie Inkling smiled casually. "Just doin' my job!" she responded. An old man appears alongside Lyra and placed his hand on her. "Please forgive her," he told Lyra, "I kinda sent her on a mission to get yer cousin yesterday. See, I was so stoked I couldn't wait! So I sent my two other agents to get him ASAP!" The hoodie Inkling then frowned. "Really? So I had to bring him here, only to find out that he was ALREADY here? You really can't wait patiently, can you?"

"Hey speaking of kettles..." I then spoke. Lyra, Agent Hoodies, and Cap'n all look at me. "Where DOES this thing go?" Lyra then walked over to the kettle. "Cuttlefish told me about this... These kettles lead to underground facilities handled by Octarians. Without proper training, he's good as doomed." Well, good thing we went over training just now! I suddenly felt relaxed, now knowing that Roy grew up. He could finally take on the world with his little boots of his! My job here was done.

"You can thank me for all the training I gave him!" I bragged to everyone. "He'll be kicking their butts before you know it! Literally!"

"I dunno, lass," Cuttlefish then spoke, "No amount of training would ever prepare him for this..." He wiped off the smudge staining the kettle. When the kettle was finally cleared, there were words on it. The words read:

 **OCTOWEAPONS PROTOTYPE #1: THE OCTOSTOMP**

Octoweapons? What ever that is, that sounds bad...


	10. Roy - A 3-Stomp Plan

Well, I was an idiot.

If I knew that this kettle would go deeper than it seemed to let on, I would've stayed away. But here I was: stuck at the bottom of a giant kettle, about 50 feet below. It's a miracle that I didn't even break any bones. I straightened up my helmet and pulled myself up. I seemed to have landed in some sort of UFO-ish platform, accompanied with some lights here and there. There was also a giant metal block standing in the middle, and straight on top of that block were an electric thingy Lyra and her friends called a 'Zapfish' and my boots. Just as I approached the block to get my boots back, I suddenly heard a sound. It started rumbling and pounding, and suddenly a flying machine rose from below the depths and into view. Piloting that machine was what seemed to be some sort of octopus with a samurai hat.

I didn't exactly have the best history with these 8-legged nuisances ever since I got here, so I was ready for whatever he was about to pull off. He took out two green sticks and started... Spinning the records on his giant turntable machine? What kind of flying machine is this? As he spun his records, the beats came off hard and loud, vibrating the entire area. If he's planning to make me dance to death, it's not going to work. Although, I will admit: it's really catchy. Of course, I should've known that the music wasn't meant for me, as the block in the middle suddenly started to vibrate. The octopus stopped spinning his records and went back down into the depths of where it came from. As the block shook more violently, a tentacle suddenly sprouted from the top! It wrapped its arms around both the Zapfish AND my boots! It took them back into the block, which tilted itself to reveal an ugly face coated in purple paint...

...And just when I thought that face wasn't ugly enough, it sprouted some feminine looking legs and screeched very loudly. If I could've said 'Oh, crap!' back there, I probably would have, but I just couldn't say anything at the moment.

The giant blockface started running up to me instantly. As it approached me, it then leaped into the air and tilted on its face, ready to completely smash me. How ironic, and I thought I was the one who was going to do the stomping... I closed my eyes, unable to face my sudden and unusual death. Of course, a pile of red paint wasn't what I got. Instead, I was pulled back by that squid thief mere moments before it stomped me! The thief hugged me, probably relieved that I was OK. I was not. She laid me down at a safe distance and turned back to the blockface, which was now struggling to get back up off its face. As it was helpless, she shot a couple shots of paint on its side, transformed into a squid, and swam up the paint.

Hmm, I guess there's always something new to learn every day here. How nice...

Once she arrived at the top, the squid then noticed the exposed tentacle, out in the open and ready to be destroyed. She fired several shots of paint at it until the tentacle exploded! That tentacle started gushing purple paint everywhere. A tad bit unsettling, but I silently cheered her on from a distance. She then jumped down from the blockface, walking away in complete satisfaction. However, I noticed that the blockface stood back up. It popped out some metal panels from its side, exposing an electric grate, and started charging towards her!

I had to warn her somehow. I don't know if she'll be fine if she dies, but if Linny felt a great amount of pain when she died, I'm not willing to let even a petty thief die. (At least, not one that saved my life just now.) There must be a word I can shout to her to tell her about the threat coming straight for her.

"HEY THIEF! HOOMY!" I shouted at her.  
"Woomy!" she chimed back, cheerily. Darn it, maybe something else?  
"SQUEOOIE QUEO SQUEE!" Would that work?  
"Wei mee mee!" she retorted angrily. At this point, I only have one last chance...  
"SQUEO WEI MEE MEE WIEO SQUEE!"  
"...Que?" But it was too late. the blockface finally jumped up and squashed her. I swear I could hear her painful cry echo throughout the area...

"DAMMIT! WHY DIDN'T I JUST SAY 'LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU'!?" Of course that's because I don't speak squid. But if that would've worked, then dammit!

What remained from that poor thieving squid was her beanie, her sweater, her sunglasses, and a somehow-perfectly-unharmed pair of metal boots. I quickly dove for them before that beast could react. I took safety at the edge of the platforms where it couldn't see me. I sat back and thought of a plan.

"Alright," I told myself. "If I remember correctly, she went up to its tentacles and gunned it while it was helpless. Maybe... Just maybe..." Alright, I got it. I slipped on my metal boots and jumped back into the fray. I hope you got arms to go with your legs you monster, because I'm going to kick you hard. _Real hard!_

After finding me, it let out a screeching roar that somehow ripped the scattered paint right off. Of course, I wasn't going to scale on its sides. I was going to jump straight for its tentacle! As it approached me, I used my boots to gush out of the way, just for it to fall flat onto its face. I then gushed straight onto its backside taking my time to relish its complete helplessness. That tentacle was shaking in fear, and I was going to put it out of its misery whether it wants it or not. After a good kick, accompanied with a gush of paint from my soles, the tentacle instantly exploded again. I jumped down from the mechanical menace to see my work done.

Of course, I should've expected it to put up a better fight. Another tentacle sprouted from its backside as it pulled itself back up and screeched another paint-ripping screech.

I now stood before this ugly menace. "You want me?" I screamed at it, "COME GET SOME!"

By now, it was obvious what I had to do. Wait, dodge, leap, kick, rinse and repeat. Of course this time around, it ripped off more of its metallic shell, this time revealing some human arms to go with that already-disgusting set of legs and its electric interior. It ran straight for me, and as soon as I gushed out of the way, it instantly picked itself back up. It charged at me yet again, ready to completely squish and get back up at a moment's notice.

This was bad. I knew that my boots had some sort of limit, like every cool thing in the world. I'm not much sure how long I have until my boots finally start to lose its paint reserves. All I could do was run for the moment. I hid back into the edges, safe from this monster. As I was catching my breath, I took a look around the surrounding area to see if there was anything else I could use. But no luck, this place was useless. It's metallic interior was shoddy, and it felt like it would crumble at any given moment...

...Wait a minute. Shoddy pieces of metal... Crumble...

I felt unsure about this. This would take a ton of paint. If I somehow don't fully make it, I might die from this. Of course, thanks to these really comfy boots, I wasn't going to break any bones. However, if I fall into the abyss, what would happen? It's best that I not know... Willing to try it out, I gushed straight for the roof of the pieces of metal. With enough force, I knocked it out of place so it would start falling down. I then gushed down back into the area before the metal did, and turned to the monster.

"How about some of this, yeah?" I taunted it. It screeched loudly as it ran towards me. Suddenly, the piece of metal I knocked out earlier pinned its arm down. It struggled to get its arm unstuck. I gushed back up and kicked another one, ready to pin down its other arm. Finally, with both arms pinned by the metal pieces, its arms were no longer a threat. I casually walked over to its helpless face. It was seething with anger, and I was savoring every last moment of it.

"Maybe next time, you'll use your head," I spoke to it, "Oh wait! YOU ARE! **AND YOU'RE STILL STUPID!** "

This monster definitely had enough of my smack talk. With no other option, it decided to try squishing me there. Of course I gushed out of the way and onto the top of its backside. There its tentacle laid exposed once more. I wasn't sure how many times I had to do this, but I was ready to destroy this thing.

"Third times the charm!" I hoped to myself as I gushed the tentacle with one last kick. I jumped back down to see if it would still be relentless.

The monster started shaking uncontrollably, wriggling uncomfortably. It was short-circuiting, and it was about to blow. I braced myself for what was possibly going to be the messiest explosion ever. Sure enough, there were huge blasts of paint everywhere.

Good thing paint doesn't outright kill me, as I would've never made it out alive. What was left of that horrific creature were the Zapfish and an old piece of paper. I felt content with my accomplishments so I decided to claim both my prizes. I walked back to the spot where I fell from the kettle, and gushed my way back up to the surface from there.

So long, ugly blockface! Good thing I won't ever fight anything like THAT ever again!


	11. Kurt - Tides Change

Blimey...

That poor lad wouldn't last even a minute down there... Had I not been so hasty, I would've saved everyone from this whole ordeal. Now, the entire crew sits around that kettle and it's all me fault...

"C'mon, Cap'n!" Agent 1 spoke. "Lemme go pull him out again!"  
"No." I told her with a heavy heart. "You know that respawning takes up alot of energy. If all that energy is gone by the time yer a gonner, ya won't come back ever again."  
"Please, Cuttlefish!" Lyra begged me.  
"We have to rescue Roy from whatever's going on down there!" Gary added.

I can't lose a promising human agent, but I don't want to risk anybody's life. Bah, confound these decisions! They drive me to think!

* * *

 _"All finished! I can't believe we both decked out this whole place! I think we done ourselves a mighty fine job, bucko!"_  
 _"Yes... I suppose this will provide as a nice sanctuary for a friend of mine as well..."_  
 _"A friend?"_  
 _"I hope you don't mind, but I have a friend who is seriously injured from this war. A place like this would soothe her soul and heal her wounds."_  
 _"I see... As long as yer OK with it, consider it done Owen!"_  
 _"...Thank you."  
"Speaking of which, I think this sanctuary needs a name. Whaddya reckon we call it?"  
"Name? I didn't think we need a name..."  
"We sure do, matey! It really makes ya feel right at home!"  
"Home...?"  
"Yeah! You know, like a place where you can relax. A place you can sleep in, eat in, have fun in, all those nice things that don't involve senseless killing!"  
"Home... I'm not sure if I ever had a home to begin with..."  
"Well how 'bout this? Since this be yer first home, how 'bout we call it 'Octo Valley'?"  
"Octo Valley?"  
"Ya wanted a home for yer friends, right? I'm sure we can all hang around here until this whole ordeal clears up so we can all live in harmony!"_

* * *

Me memories be interrupted again. Darn moments of story progression keeping me from thinking about my past! The kettle everyone gathered around began to rumble. They all stepped back as the lid popped straight off, flying into the air. What I saw with me own two eyes were completely unbelievable. Call me a blind ol' Fartfish, but I swear I saw Roy rocketing straight up into the air with both the Zapfish and a Scroll in his hands! He landed straight in front of the kettle with no visible signs of injury other than the drips of Octarian ink here and there, but he was OK!

"Told ya my training helped!" Linny bragged.  
"I... I don't believe it..." Agent 2 stood there completely shocked.  
"Yayers! He's alive!" Agent 1 cheered.  
"Roy..."

Lyra ran up to the lad and squeezed him a big one. I guess that lass was really concerned for her only (human) friend. Roy kept walking, completely content in his victory rather than horrified of how lethal that Octoweapon was. He placed the Zapfish back on the ground, where it squirmed all over. He stuffed the scroll into his pockets and walked back to the main grate. Before he could go back down into the sewers however, he collapsed.

"MEDIC!"  
"Those guys were gone since yesterday! We can't call for them now!"  
"Well, you two are professional agents! You must have covered life-saving as part of your training!"  
"What!? We're no docs, kid! We can't poss-"  
"I'll do it."  
"YOU WILL!?"  
"It definitely won't take CPR, that's for sure."

Even though it ended in a bitter note, it seemed that the situation ended just fine. If only the events that took place back then ended fine as well...

* * *

 _"Cuttlefish! How dare you!"_  
 _"Me? What for?"_  
 _"You brought them here! You promised that this would be a sanctuary for those wounded and tired of the war!"_  
 _"But this is, lad! I don't turn back on me words!"_  
 _"This is all YOUR fault! The sanctuary is riddled with your men hungry for murder and senseless violence!"_  
 _"Now hold a sec, bucko! I didn't tell a SOUL of this place! Ya got me all wrong!"_  
 _"How can I trust you!? You're just like all of them. Killing others must seem like a fun sport to you!"_  
 _"Now don't tie me to those goons! I only want everyone to live safe and happy!"_  
 _"AND WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO YOU!? YOU LET EVERYONE IN THIS SANCTUARY DIE!"_  
 _"...Lad. I'm sorry this had to happen. But I tell ya, it ain't me fault!"_  
 _"YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME HERE! The next time I see your face, I will make sure you die a horrible death..."_  
 _"Owen... I'm sorry..."_

* * *

"Yo, Cuttles! You alright!?"

Linny was waving her hands in me face, snapping me back into the present.

"Sorry, matey. I guess I kinda lost me cool for a second there..."

It was already evening. The gang had left with Roy, hopefully taking him someplace to recover. I just remained in Octo Valley, gazing out at the octopus-formation like I always do every so often. Linny joins with me to.

"I guess we can be both proud of our accomplishments today, huh Cap'n?" she said to me.  
"...I suppose we could," I sighed both in grief and relief, "That was all too close."  
"So... I guess we start our missions tomorrow. As a veteran agent, I'll make sure those Octarians are wiped out from inksistance!"

Veteran, eh? If only we could've switched lives...


	12. Roy - Recovery

_"Uncle Thomas, why do I have to learn karate again?"_  
 _"Roy, you never know when you're gonna face off against a freak."_  
 _"While on the subject, why do you make me read all these books again?"_  
 _"I thought you might be bored."_  
 _"But it's summer! I can go out and get some air?"_  
 _"NO YOU MAY NOT!"_  
 _"Uncle Thomas...?"_  
 _"Err... I mean, we're better off in here. We got plenty of tuna in here, so we'll never go hungry!"_  
 _"Tuna? Ew! How about pizza?"_  
 _"Sure! Go drown in the oceans before you get there, why don't you?"_  
 _"...What?"_  
 _"I'm joking! But seriously, we're safer in here."_  
 _"...Uncle Thomas?"_  
 _"I'm sorry, I just can't afford to lose you."_  
 _"What are you talking about? I'm forced to stay with you, remember?"_  
 _"Oh, right... You'll be safe..."_

* * *

I woke up in some sort of bed. I saw Lyra, Linny, Gary, and two others fast asleep in front of me. I guess I must have worried everyone after collapsing; that metal face put up a fight! I appeared to be in Lyra's treehouse again. I guess without all that electricity, we're camping instead. I do like that kind of idea though, as we could take moments to gaze out and reflect on tons of things. I picked up my helmet as I went outside, despite how difficult it was thanks to my numb legs. Hopefully, nobody saw my real face while I was unconscious. I looked out as I saw the several stars that shone out in the night. They were the same stars as the ones I would see back at my home every night. Just being here makes me wonder: "Where am I now?"

I remembered picking up some sort of paper and stuffing it into my pocket as I left that scrap heap earlier. I pulled it out and took a look at it. The paper was crumpled, but I was able to get a clear view of what it was. It was a picture of what appeared to be two people talking with each other, having some sort of friendly chat. One had tattered clothing with a captain's hat, while the other had a kimono with a helmet. They seemed to resemble some of the creatures I've seen before, but I can't recognize them at all... With no clue as to what this picture is, I decided to stuff the picture back into my pocket. However, I managed to dig out another...

That's funny. Wasn't there only one picture that I found during the wreckage? I decided to look at the other picture. The picture contained a page from what appeared to be a diary. Despite how tiny it was, I was able to read the text. Thankfully, it was English.

 _"...All I could do was listen to music in hopes of brightening my day. In the end, I was just another fool. How am I supposed to continue living like this? Everyone I loved was gone. All I can hope is for him to continue the torch of our race. He is our last hope and I want him to keep living. He's more than just a boy with our race on his shoulders, he's a prodigy!"_

I was interrupted with a silent 'meow' coming from above. Hiding within the leaves were a pair of glowing eyes, starring at me. It jumped out onto the roof of the treehouse, still casting its gaze at me. Wait a second, that cat! It followed me from the basement! What is it doing here and why does it enjoy ruining my life? The cat just keeps gazing at me. Yeah, go ahead. Get a good look at me with your fat bulging belly and spots, then get bored and go scratch someone else's baggage! It lept off the roof and away into the night. Good riddance, furball.

It's been two days since I ran away from my crazy uncle and already I'm greeted with crazy hectic insanity involving squids, paint, and power outages. Even if there was nothing to do back at that ol' crank's home, this place doesn't feel safe either. Even though I'm in a neighborhood that's just a good distance from a peaceful town (despite its sport), there's also weird octopus people with weird machinery that could pose as a threat to these squids. The only thing I can do at this point is sit and wait. My legs feel all too numb to even start walking.

Funny enough, with all these aquatic nonsense going on, I thought back to what my uncle used to tell me every time I visited him: "Make sure you stay high, the waters will be coming!" Yeah, that guy is a weirdo. Though, he DOES give me a place to stay. Sure I've got one here too, but I can't remember a time at my uncle's place where I had to fight giant machinery or octopus people... That's crazy.

All my thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound. Great, that cat came back. It made another sound, but it wasn't a 'meow'. It went kinda more like 'Haaa?'. I looked up to see who or what it was. Surprise, surprise, it was that girl from yesterday. I already took a beating from you the first two encounters, what more do you want from me!? She slipped onto me what appeared to be a pair of headphones. She then pulled out a CD-player and began a playback of a song. What I heard from my headphones was a set of beats pounding into my head. They were pretty great, but what is she even doing? Pumping beats into me until I submit to her? I look back at her, giving her some sort of look to suggest that what she was trying to do wasn't exactly working out. She then raised the volume higher, and the beats came out louder.

Look lady, I listen to my music with my volume cranked all the way to the max. WHAT. ARE YOU EVEN. TRYING. TO DO?

Well, at least the music was good enough to dance to. Too bad my legs were too busted to actually dance.

After a good minute of sweet rave beats, she finally gave up. She removed the headphones and ran off. I was very confused at what just happened. I heard the gang suddenly waking up. I guess those beats were loud enough for them to hear as well. When they awoke, they all ran for me. There was a commotion both full of worry and excitement. Settle down, gang. I'm fine. Lyra instantly went for a hug at me. She's been hugger-happy recently and I honestly don't see why she needs to be. Sure I've been through a ton that day, but no need to be all sentimental.

My legs started feeling a little better once more. I looked at the sky and sure enough, it was starting to become sunrise. I climbed down the treehouse, wondering what my next course of action should be. This town is nice and all, but if it's going to be under constant threat, I won't like it one bit. Despite my personal feelings on the matter, I decide to at least fend off Lyra's home from these octopi. It's the least I could do after she gave me a place to stay.

"Lyra! Linny! Gary! You two!" I called out to them, "I'm heading out to town, are you all coming along?" The only response I heard was snoring. They were all fast asleep once again. These squids have got to be the most laziest creatures I've met...

"Alright... I'll be at the city once you wake up..." I made my way for the the city while the five of them continued snoring their worries away. Those squids...


	13. Octricia - What is he?

Augh! How could this happen!? This Inkling is more troublesome than I thought! Not only is he immune to ink, but he's also immune to the hypnotic beats forged by my master! A formidable foe, but his tenacity is really starting to sicken me.

I pulled out my communications device and contacted master.

"Master, I have a problem regarding your target."  
"Yes, what about it?"  
"It appears that he is immune to your hypnotic beats. Those were the very beats no Inkling should ever resist!"  
"Those beats DO hypnotize the ones that hear it, but that depends on their condition. Tell me, was he in top condition?"  
"No sir, he looked too wounded to even stand up."  
"That settles it then, he is too weak to absorb the rhythm. Once he is in top physical form, go in there and sabotage him."  
"Understood sir. By the way, do you know anything about the target?"  
"Hmm... He certainly isn't like those meddlesome slimes... Maybe he's a..."  
"A what?"  
"...It's nothing. I will have the answers. In the meantime, you are to report back to Octo Valley."  
"Understood sir, Octricia out."

I put away my communications device and look out into the sunrise. It's a pretty sight, one that I never thought I'd ever see in a lifetime. I've had dark times back then, but I shouldn't think about it too much. If I'm caught outside looking like this, I may expose our organization to the public. I secretly hid behind the tree, looking around for anybody who might be potentially out there. Sure enough, that helmeted Inkling was walking his way towards the city. Our last encounter ended up pretty messy, but this time I was going to get him for sure.

I was just about to pounce on him and plug in those headphones once more, but then noticed he was limping. If he's not fully recovered, then the hypnotizing won't work! I had to think of another plan. Though I regret to do this, I have to help him recover as well. I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep my enemy a little more closer. After all, I'll get the drop on him once I'm close enough!

I dug into my pockets and found a small amount of money that I managed to pick up from the ground during my early-morning scouting. These Inklings have got to be the most stupidest monsters to leave their money lying around the ground. I spotted a nearby vending machine and decided to get a drink for him. I took a look at his helmet to see what color he was. Apparently he's a hint of green, mixed with a tiny tint of white. I made sure to buy the right drink for him and snuck up to him. He was sitting on the bench, starring at the sunrise. Go ahead and plot whatever monstrous ideas you may unleash, but my plot will put an end to yours!

I secretly placed the soda next to him without him noticing. I hid back in the bushes behind and waited until he took notice of the drink I left for him. He was a bit skeptical at first, but noticed how parched he was. He then decided to open the can and take one smooth sip from it. Unfortunately, the plan didn't go as I hoped; he choked on the drink and spat it back out onto the ground. In complete panic, he ran over to a nearby fountain and dove into the water.

What is up with this Inkling!? First he's immune to ink, and now WATER!?

He took several sips from the pouring waters flowing from the tip of the fountain. After a good period of drinking, he hopped out of the fountain and continued his way into the city. This definitely isn't an Inkling I'm going up against, but perhaps something bigger...

I followed him into the city, which was thankfully empty at this time. I watched him walk into a cafe of sorts and followed in as well. I hid myself under a vacant table while observing his every move. He seems to be eating a stack of pancakes... Whatever energy you're observing from this won't help when I take them away from you!

Again, I managed to stop myself. "Remember Octricia: Top condition = Insta-Hypno," I told myself. I kept hiding within the shadows of the table while he kept gorging himself to the pancakes. Surprisingly, only one stack was needed before he left the cafe. I kept my eye on him as I watched him walk off into the west side of town. He was eyeing on the windows, each displaying a different set of clothing. I'm starting to get confused; what kind of monster fixates his mind on shopping? I then suddenly see him pull out something from his back pocket. I rub my eyes, or rather my lens, to see what he pulled out: the pair of goggles he stole from me during our last encounter!

That was it! Top condition or not, this monster is NOT going to pawn MY goggles to some **CLOTHING STORE!**

I always have spares in case of situations like these, but if this thing truly does steal belongings in return for money, that makes him a cold-hearted bastard! I don't EVER forgive scum like him!

"...And just WHAT do you think you're doing, pawning off MY goggles!?" I screeched as I approached him.  
"Grrack!? Agrouagarr..." he snarled back as he turned towards me.  
"Taking away our homes was one thing... Now you're taking away our possessions!? What's next, our LIVES!?"  
"Fhuff!"  
"I don't care what you have to say! No amount of growling or snarling will ever justify your means! DIE!"

I quickly pulled out my gun and took several shots at him. He managed to dodge a couple with effort, but he was shot multiple times all the same. He was eventually knocked down once again. This pathetic loser was going to pay. I pinned him down with my leg on his chest, and aimed straight for his face. However, he quickly shot through the ground and managed to get himself back up with his boots! It was unbelievable, but his boots gushed out paint and propelled him out of my reach! What's worse was that the paint didn't even match his own! Just what kind of monster is he!?

It was at this point that I regret revealing myself. I should've kept a closer eye on him, rather than just jump into the fray. But now's not the time to regret, not when this bastard is threatening my home!

I quickly shifted into octopus form and hid within the ink. If I could travel slowly, I'd be able to catch him off guard like I did the first two times. However, he just stomped all over the place, his boots quickly gushing a shade of blue, pink, yellow, orange, all over MY paint! This monster is a reckless wrecker! If I keep hiding, he'll eventually find me. I decided to leap out and take more shots at him. He managed to gush straight into the air right before any of those shots landed! At the apex of his ascent, he came plummeting down, right at my general direction. I managed to get out of the way just barely, but the gushing ink managed to get onto me! I fell over onto the ground, helpless.

He slowly walked to me with his foot now on my chest. Talk about some serious role reversal...

There was of course one thing that was eating the back of my head ever since I met him: what is he? For every encounter we've met, he's kept his face concealed for a very long amount of time. I guess it wouldn't hurt to reveal him. With my hand free from his clutches, I took one good aim at his helmet. The shot knocked it off, revealing not an Inkling, but much, much worse...

"Who... Who the hell are you!?"

The monster only growled as he gushed every last bit of paint down my chest.

* * *

Here I was back in Octo Valley. I kept rubbing that one spot that got gushed. Damn, that'll sting for days...

I suddenly remembered what happened before I died: that monster had no fangs, no tentacles, his ears weren't pointy... Just what kind of monster is he? I pulled out my communications device and contacted my boss.

"Sir, I have a very serious problem."  
"What is it?"  
"That target I tried apprehending, he's not an Inkling!"  
"Not an Inkling?"  
"He doesn't have tentacles, sir. He's a monster!"  
"Hmmph! So they truly are alive..."  
"Boss?"  
"Ah, I apologize for not telling you this earlier... We seem to have a human within our plans."  
"Human?"  
"Creatures who roamed this land long before you and I were born. It is thanks to them that we possess the technology we have today."  
"A human... So what does that mean?"  
"Ink will not bring any harm to it, however they won't respawn once dead. Give and take a couple strengths and weaknesses, and you have another Inkling, only modified and easier to kill..."  
"So I guess we'll have to ditch our Hypno-Plan..."  
"Not quite. I've looked deep into their history. Apparently, these humans are easily subdued by the hypnotic properties of music just like those Inklings. We may still be able to hypnotize him so he will fight alongside us."  
"Alright sir, I'm going to deploy the device now."  
"No. I need you to defend Kettle #7, that's our only spot of refugee from those monsters. Those meddlesome slimes should be arriving within the hour, so be prepared."  
"On it sir, Octoricia out."

Hmmph! Human, eh? Well the secret's out! Now I know your game, and I **WILL** kill you once I get my chance you bastard!


	14. Linny - A Twisted Town

Finally, after several years of rigorous training and hard working, we were finally among the ranks of the most superior agents in the world! With my astounding roller abilities, Lyra's hit-and-run maneuvers, Gary's quick-fingers sniping, and Roy's... power, we were ready to take down the biggest, most baddest Octarian of them all... But who was he? Our only thoughts were to put an end to his evil schemes and bring back peace to Inkopolis before he-

* * *

"Linny, what are you mumbling about?" Gary asked me.  
"We've gone through our harsh training! Now all we need to do is take out the bad guys and we win!"  
Lyra sighed. "We just came back from a museum hiatus. Museum d'Alfonsino was really boring."  
"I know, right? That's why it was so rigorous! So now, we're totally ready!"  
"Although you _do_ have to admit, it was pretty large."  
"Yeah, I'll give it that."  
"Gaolga..."

We were walking our way through the sewers again. Normally its dark atmosphere gave me shivers, but it felt a lot brighter around here for some reason. I guess those little Zapfish we've been collecting are powering up parts of town again. Although I do have to wonder: Why would there be lights in the sewers? It's a weird thought, but I just shrugged it off as the four of us made our way up a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, re-

"Alright, we get it..." Lyra groaned.

We all popped out from the main grate and noticed something a little different. For some reason, it felt a little hotter. It wasn't the winds or anything, but it felt steamy in certain places. We all kept walking around until Lyra tripped on something. And for some reason, when she fell, her body wasn't flat on the ground, but rather floating! What is this!? Suddenly, a figure behind us walked up to her. It was the Cap'n!

"So that's how yer playing this game, eh?" he spoke as he eyed the weird force holding Lyra up. "Invisible kettles to secretly hide away Zapfish. Ya've gotten clever. Of course, I should be expecting this from the Octarians..." We all looked at where he was looking at, but saw nothing. Invisible kettles? "What kettles?" I asked him. He turned towards us and sighed. "These kettles are strongholds the Octarians use to keep the stolen Zapfish. They're bein heavily guarded by Octotroopers of all sorts."

"Invisible kettles? Are you sure that's what it is?" I asked him.  
"See fer yerself. Paint it."

Lyra took out her gun and took a couple shots at the kettle. To our astonishment, a kettle started forming out from Lyra's paint! The steam was much more noticeable, and sounds could be heard from the top of the kettle. Roy walked over to it and placed his hands on it. If this was where we'd find the Zapfish, then I won't waste any time trying to get them back! I need my nightlights badly! I was about to dive in headfirst into the kettle until Cuttlefish stopped me.

"A word for ya before ya go diving in: if ya get splatted, that's it. Ya don't get a second chance on this mission. If yer splatted, just wait here and hope that someone else finishes the mission."  
Gary and I looked at each other confused. "Can't we just use Respawn Pads?" I asked him.  
"It's either those or Ranked Battles. Yer call."  
"Good point..."

Roy looked deep into the kettle and started shaking nervously. Why would he be so scared of a kettle when he's already been in one? Sometimes this weirdo weirds me out so much, I don't even care anymore. We all dove into the kettle, ready for action, horror, adventure, mystery, and I swear this: by the time this journey is over, we'll have touched just about every genre there is to this story! (Save for a couple, I dunno...) Of course before we got into whatever gauntlet this kettle had in store for us, we fell a good 50 feet down onto a giant rock.

We all stuck the landing. Well, maybe not Roy. He fell face-first on the ground. Ouch, that hurts. We all took a look around the kettle's insides and we were shocked. The sky was blue, the buildings were floating, and signs often contradicted each other. But wait a minute, why is the sky within the kettle? What's with all these floating buildings? We were all lost in what we were getting ourselves into. If this is some sort of mind-trickery that the Octarians are using to disorient us throughout the mission, it's kinda working already.

"Ah, got it!" Lyra said without warning. "So this must be someplace underground. Dang, these Octarians really know how to build a place."

I was a little confused. I shot her a funny look. Just who was she talking to?

"Linny, don't tell me you forgot to wear your agent gear..." she groaned as she looked at me. Aw jeez, I DID forget! Although the outfit was rather pointless, the headpiece was an essential part of the mission! Without those, I can't contact the group if something goes wrong!

"How about this?" Gary spoke then, "Since Linny doesn't have her headpiece and Roy can't use the headpiece, let's split up. I'll take Linny and you take Roy. If something happens, contact us and we'll try to get over as fast as possible." Lyra and I agreed that this would be the best course of action within this crazy labyrinth, so I went along with Gary while Lyra took Roy's hand and dragged him the other way. With two different parties, finding the Zapfish within this weird place would make things more easier!

This place was weird. Not only were there floating buildings and signs that had 'STOP' and 'GO' here and there, but some of these buildings were OUR buildings! I saw signs advertising Krak-On shoes and Firefin gear. Are these Octarians taking our town apart? It's a terrifying thought, but I kept my head straight as the two of us traversed through this twisted town. (If this could even qualify as a town.)

Gary suddenly yanked my arm and threw me back. "Get back!" he shouted. A giant glob of purple paint flew across. It wasn't going fast, but the glob was big enough to take an Inkling out if they got hit. If I wasn't pulled back soon enough, that would've splatted me! I looked at where the shot came from, and sure enough there was an Octarian. He only had legs, and his entire body was a tentacle! He wasn't too big, but his tiny machine made him taller than the two of us! What a cheapskate! His little machine started shooting out more slow globs.

"That's all? What a joke!" I scoffed, "We'll have these Octarians taken care of and get that Zapfish back in no time!"  
"I wouldn't be so sure on that..." Gary replied.

We were suddenly surrounded in groups of these slow-moving, slow-shooting troopers. One good shot from their slow globs and we're done for. Despite that, I knew exactly how to handle the situation; I pulled out my roller and started mowing down those troopers. "Come on!" I yelled back at Gary, who nodded as he followed me. All I had to do was roll down the path and eventually find the Zapfish. However, this disorienting place wasn't making my job any easier. At times, I found myself rolling on the streets, and then on top of buildings, and then on the catwalks along the buildings! Just who was responsible for building this place!?

We eventually ran into Octarians who flew in the air, thanks to their little propeller helmets. I can't reach them with my roller at all! How cheap! "Leave this to me," Gary said as he pulled out his charger. Within two good shots, the two were instantly splatted. The rest of the way went over like this: I rolled down the troopers in the way, while Gary sniped those out of my reach.

...Somehow, I feel like it should be the other way around... Maybe just my imagination...

"Zat is as far as you go, my little Inklies..." A voice from above called out to us. We all looked up and saw a taller Octarian with funny goggles and a flying machine!

"Who are you?" Gary demanded.  
"You must be very rude, ja?" he growled, "You break into my home, splatter my friends, and now you demand to know who I am?"  
"Uh, yeah! Duh!" I retorted.  
"Such rudeness coming from ze both of you. You Inklies make zis real hard for me..."  
"...Well if it makes you feel better, I'm Gary and this is Linny."  
"GARY!"  
"Satisfied?"  
"Ja. I am Ochtung, head sniper of ze Octarians. Despite ze rude intrusion, at least _one_ of you seem to be proper, yes?"

A laser was suddenly aimed right at my forehead.

"Zis rude frauline has no place in zis world. Bye-bye!"

He took a shot and ink shot straight at me. Strangely enough, I wasn't splatted. I took a look around me, and noticed the uniform was lying on the ground. Gary jumped in the way just to protect me...

"How noble," the Octarian uttered, "Such an Inkly has to be saving such a miserable creature like you. He vas right: you Inklies are selfish!"

I looked at Gary's remains in horror as his laser pointed at my forehead once more.

"You feel ze shame weighing down your shoulders, ja? Your actions are costing each others' lives. Do you not understand just how corrupt you Inklies are? Zis will hopefully shed some light in your pathetic noggin of y-AUGH!"

Lyra and Roy both jumped on him in time before he took a shot at me. I took a huge sigh as the two came over to me.

"You OK? Nothing broken?" she asked me.  
"I'm fine, but Gary..."  
"It's cool, he's doing fine. He respawned back at the valley."  
"Oh yeah, forgot about that!"  
"Speaking of which, Roy and I found the Zapfish!"

Lyra pulled out the Zapfish. It was wriggling a lot, but she managed to hold a good grip on it.

"That's cool! But, what's Roy got in his hands?"  
"It's some sort of weird document written in weird symbols. Anyways, let's get out of here."

* * *

Back at the valley, I found Gary waiting for me along with Cuttlefish. He came over to me and gave me a huge hug.

"Thank Cod you're OK! I was getting worried!"  
"What about you though?"  
"Ah, forget about it! The important thing is that you're safe!"

Lyra handed over the Zapfish to Cuttlefish and decided to call it a day. We followed her back into the main grate and down the sewers once again.

Back in the dimly lit sewers, not a single word was spoken. I was a little worried. Was I truly selfish like that Octarian said? I remember being a coward back at Camp Triggerfish when I was young, but am I holding the group back even now?

"Hey Gary," I spoke as we walked, "About what happened... Why did you do that?"  
"...Well, I guess it's because I had to?"  
"Not good enough."  
"Alright, well the truth is that it's about my family."  
"What about your family? Were you abandoned by abusive parents and had to fend for yourself all alone in the city?"  
"Linny, that's ridiculou-"  
"And then you swore to yourself that nobody else should suffer like that so you became a strong lea-"  
"Linny, no! I actually had a loving family."

He sighed. "The truth is, they're not feeling so hot right now. In fact, they've been ill lately and I had to take charge. I guess that's part of why I wanted to join this team: because if the power's gone, they may be gone too. I guess being in _CHARGER_ is giving me this will to protect my friends!"

Lame pun aside, I guess he really cares for me. I just hope I'm not too selfish for him.

"Gary, thanks..." I replied as we continued walking down. Who am I kidding? Of course I'm not selfish!

...

...

...

...Am I?


	15. Lyra - Undeniably Unwelcome

Roy's been acting a bit strange lately. He hasn't bothered talking to anybody after that last mission. The only thing he seems to care about are the pieces of paper he found. I tried talking to him about it, but he doesn't even bat an eye at me. Linny and Gary both tried, but that didn't work either. Even during turf wars, he just gushed out of bounds to look at his pictures undisturbed. Just what was so special about those pictures? Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to take a look at those pictures.

During dinner at the cafe, (Apparently, Roy can only eat pancakes and drink coffee) I tried tugging lightly at his shirt. He seems to be too fixated to look at me. I pounded down on his helmet as hard as I could.

"GRRK! Lyra!" he yelled. I pointed at the pictures he was looking at and he reluctantly handed them over. I took a look at the pictures and found some pretty interesting things. Some of these pictures were all about Octarian machinery and weapons, while others were about weird alien things that I assume only Roy would know. If these pictures were important, I know I would spend time going over these pictures. Of course, I wouldn't be too into it like Roy. I looked back up at Roy, who was extending his hand. I gave him back the pictures once I finished looking over them and dismissed myself from the table. Roy decided to come with me as well.

As I walked down the park right outside Inkopolis with Roy, I noticed he was gazing into the sky looking troubled. I know it won't help, but I tried consoling him on the way.

"So uh," I started off, "Nice evening we're having...?" He just sighs.  
"So about those pictures, I guess we've got their weakness now eh?"

...Oh who was I kidding? Talking with someone who doesn't speak the same language is pointless. Maybe this was a ba-

"Lyra?" Roy spoke. I instantly shifted my gaze at him.  
"Mama? Papa?" he asked.  
"Well of course I have a 'Mama' and 'Papa'! They're both a little annoying at times, but overall I lo-"

I froze there. Was he talking about HIS Mama and Papa? Come to think of it, he's the only human so far to ever survive this long. I guess it would make sense that he misses his family. Maybe even feel a little homesick. Feeling a little sorry for him, I wrapped my arm around him and comforted him. Even without his family, he'll be fine here. After all, he's got me, Gary, Linny, Cuttlefish, and those two agents!

Suddenly the sky grew dark. That's weird, it was only 5 in the evening. I looked up and every feeling of pity was instantly replaced with great astonishment. There were two giant UFO's, clouding the beautiful evening sky. Suddenly, I saw an Inkstrike marked right at me. Frozen with fear, I was unable to do anything.

"LYRA!" Roy screamed as he instantly shoved me out of the way. Thanks to his gushing boots, he managed to dodge the Inkstrike too. Two obese figures with propeller caps started flying towards us. They were Octarians...

"Who are you two!?" I demanded them. "And what do you want with us!?"  
"Dah," one of them spoke, "we just in da neighbahood and we heard youse talkin bout a orphan, and dat orphan was our adopted kid! We came to get reunited with da kid and become a happy fami-WE CAME TO KILL YA, WHAT ELSE!?"  
"Kill?" I asked.  
"Here's da thing little girl," the other spoke, "Dis human ya got here don't respawn like everybody else. Once he kick the bucket, he kick the bucket for good. He don't come back."

I shivered at the news of that. If Roy somehow dies, we can't bring him back? No wonder he avoided fighting in turf wars...

"Which brings us to here! We's gonna use dese UFO's to kill ya friend! No mo human, no mo probs!"

The UFO overhead suddenly started sending out Inkstrikes, all marked at Roy's general location. Roy managed to dodge them all, but the UFO kept sending out more. At this rate, they'll tire him out until he gets bombarded with Inkstrikes!

"Lyra! Over here!" I heard a voice call out. I turned my head over to the voice. It was that beanie agent! She beckoned me to follow her. "What about Roy?" I yelled back. "He can handle himself! He's got those gushers, after all!" she yelled back. I was a little reluctant to leave Roy to die, but I trusted her that he would be alright, and that he would manage it for the time of being. I followed her into hiding while Roy kept gushing out of the Inkstirke's reach.

Within hiding, I saw another Inkling shriveling up in fear. This Inkling was purple, donned a gray arcade t-shirt and cap, and held onto a bucket. Something about him seemed somewhat familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Ya gotta help me man," he spouted out in panic, "These freaks came outta nowhere one day and took my father! Now they're coming for me! Oh sweet Cod, what did I do to deserve this!?"  
"Settle down," the agent spoke calmly, "They're not here for you." She then turned to me. "Lyra, within this park should be a launch pad. They'll take you on top of the UFO's. From there, take out the captain and the Inkstrikes should stop." I nodded to her as I stepped out of hiding and went out to find that launch pad. I saw that Roy was still dodging the Inkstrikes, but noticed that the tanks on his boots were half-full. If I don't do something quick, he's going to die for sure!

It didn't take long for me to find the launch pad, which was guarded by the Octarians. I dove through their waves and stepped into the launch pad, which sent me flying into one of the UFOs. The obese Octarian from before noticed me and approached me.

"Seems like lil miss hero gonna save her boyfriend, eh?" he taunted.  
"I've heard better insults coming from a trash bin!"

I pulled out my gun as I got ready to fight him. He spat out some Splat Bombs, but I managed to keep my distance within them. I kept poking some shots into this Octarian, who did nothing but run away the entire fight as he tried to bombard me with his bombs. This coward wasn't going to kill Roy and get away with it.

"Youse a stubborn one, ya know dat? ALL WEAPONS LOCK ON DIS GIRL!" Suddenly, the UFO was entirely bombarded with not just Inkstrikes, but Octarians, bombs...

Flying Seekers?  
Splash Walls!?  
FLYING SEEKING SPRINKLERS!? JUST WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING!?

"Impressed with dese toys I got here?" he scoffed, "Dis here you can thank da Squid Researchers we kidnapped to make dese. I'll admit, we's impressed by the craftsmanship of dese thingies."

"BOB!" a voice yelled from across. Occupying another UFO within the distance was it's equally annoying Octarian partner. "You're not supposed to tell em dat! Da boss said it was a secret to everybo-AUGPHLT!"

The Octarian exploded. Standing not to far from him was Roy with Burst Bombs in each hand, accompanied by the agent with the beanie.

"BILL! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as he watched his partner get splatted. From far away, Roy gave a menacing glance at him and gushed high into the air, ready to stomp him.

"Aw, da boss ain't gonna be happy when he finds out I-"

In an instant, Roy splatted him. With the boots recoiling him, he started losing his balance and was about to fall off the UFO! I managed to grab his arm in time and save his skin. He took a couple seconds to calm down, and then placed his hand on my head while giving me a smile of appreciation. I smile back, more concerned about his well-being than what I can do for him.

Suddenly, static came from the remains of that Octarian. I went to get a closer look.

"Haha!" a laugh bellowed from the remains, "Did ya really think I'd come here with just two of em?"

I looked up and saw three more UFOs. Each had some seriously overpowered weapons. Even if Roy could get the jump on any of them, the amount of weapons would overwhelm him and knock him off! Not only that, but some of them were incredibly lethal for his standards. There was no way any of us could be able to take all three of them down. We were doomed...

"...NOW! OPEN FIRE!" the beanie agent shouted.

Within an instant, three massive waves of Killer Wails pierced the UFOs, splatting their pilots. I looked back to see who deployed them. It was Linny, Gary, and the other agent! I hopped off the UFO and went over to them. Roy hopped off as well. I was shocked to see him jump off that high, but his gushing boots gave him a slow descent.

"You OK, Lyra?" Gary asked me, "Agent 2 told us all about it."  
"Yeah, Roy and I are fine."  
"Oh my Cod, you had me there!" Linny cried as she ran over and hugged me. I patted her back as she continued sobbing into my shoulders. Whether those tears were genuine or not was up for debate, but she was clearly relieved that I was safe.

"...Wait a second, it's that cheater from before!" a voice called out. I turned around and saw the purple Inkling, coming out from hiding. He ran over to Roy and kicked his back. Roy fell on the ground while the Inkling kept stamping all over him.

"Thought you could win the match by being invincible, eh? Guess what? I SURVIVED THE FREAKING APOCALYPSE BRO! Your bullsquid Defense Ups got nothing on my survival skills! Oh yeah!"

Roy was growling with anger as he picked himself up. He took off the helmet, revealing a deadly glare that managed to shatter his entire confidence.

"...HOLY SQUID, THIS GUY'S GOT NO TENTACLES!"

"...You guys wanna head to the arcade?"  
"Yeah! We certainly earned ourselves the trip!"  
"It'll be a nice breather after everything that happened today."  
"YOU PEOPLE SEEING THIS!? HE'S GOT WEIRD TEETH!"

As the three of us walked our way to the arcade, I noticed something was missing. Realizing that I forgot about Roy, I immediately ran back.

"Hey Roy, we're heading for the arcade! Wanna come?"

...

...

...

He was gone. So were the two agents... Only the purple Inkling was still there.

"I'M TELLING YA, THERE'S SOMETHING JACKED UP ABOUT THAT FREAK!"


	16. Agent 1 - Mission Log 13

**_Mission #13_**

 ** _Recover the Zapfish:_**

 _ **There should be Zapfish within the UFO wreckages. Investigate the crash sites and uncover any Zapfish within the area.**_

 ** _Other Field Agents: Agent 2_**

 ** _Time Limit: ASAP!_**

Scanning area... Scanning completed: the area was littered with broken scrap everywhere. Chances of finding scrap: over 9000%. Chances of finding Zapfish: 1%. Probability of completing the mission: -0%.

Incoming message:  
"Welp, let's get rolling. If we can't find them by the time the next four stages of the day are up, the Octarians may come back."  
"Right! We'll be nabbing them in no time!"

Commencing search within the central area of the park. Debris of UFO constricting maneuverability, but accessibility around the area is not impossible. Scanning entire area for any Zapfish within vicinity... Scanning completed: one Zapfish located under the waters of the fountain. Due to hazardous properties of water, retrieving this Zapfish is impossible.

Incoming message:  
"Agent 1, I'm detecting a possible Octarian nearby. Stay alert!"

Scanning surroundings... Scanning completed: one threat detected from the right. Analysis shows that within a pile of scrap were a pair of glowing eyes. Glowing eyes identified to be that of an Octoling. Locking onto target and preparing Roller Mode in 0.50 seconds.

Target is emerging out of scrap. Something is strange with the target. Rescanning target... Scanning completed.

Inputting message:  
"False alarm, it's just one of Lyra's friends."  
"Really?"  
"He's got that helmet covering his entire face. Plus, he's speaking that Squitzerland language."  
"Darn foreigner getting in the way of our mission! Why don't you evacuate him out of the park?"  
"On it. How are things going on your end by the way?"  
"Well I managed to find one. Still can't find the others. You?"  
"I've found one, but I can't get it. It's stuck in the fountain."  
"We seriously need to question who built this place..."

Foreign Inkling removes goggles and stuffs them back into his pockets. He pulls out what appears to be the lost documents grandpa used to own.

I MEAN JUST SOME SILLY PAPERS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MY GRANDFATHER, WHY DID I EVEN BRING HIM UP? HE'S TOTALLY IRRELEVANT!

Back to current mission: evacuating Foreign Inkling. Foreign Inkling is still eyeing the papers. Perhaps he could... No. Despite being Lyra's accomplice and somehow surviving the Octostomp, he's still just a kid.

 **Commencing Evacuation: Request**  
"Excuse me, but this is a prohibited area. I must ask that you leave this area immediately."  
"Groaskoals?"  
"Well, I'm glad you asked! We are currently under the investigation of a missing... err, MEAT CYLINDER! Yeah, that's it! No need to ask or even wonder what those are, but Inkopolis is in dire need of these meat cylinders, and this area is closed off to ensure that we get the most effort of finding them!"  
"...Skrellithk..."  
"...Stupid foreign languages."

 **Commencing Evacuation: Charm  
** Increasing eye size to 200%. Foreign Inkling remains unfazed. Now walking over to Foreign Inkling and placing hands on shoulders.

"Pweese, weave da awea! Fow widdle ol' me! Pweese!"  
"...Dphau?"  
"Aw, lookie over dere! I saw a pwetty spwinklie outside da parkie! Let's go and get da pwetty spwinklie!"

Currently tugging on arm, but Foreign Inkling is still not budging.

"Aw come on, let's go get da pwetty spwinklie and **not be so darn stubborn!** "

Foreign Inkling yawns, then turns around and walks to another pile of scrap.

 **Commencing Evacuation: Totes Legal Action!  
** Only one option entirely left. Preparing Roller Mode...

"Look buddy, I tried real nice to tell you that this place is off-limits. Do you understand a word I am saying?"  
"Haurarua, mikasciolazon wiedonskla..."  
"Ugh, this is what I get for working with foreigners."

Preparing to completely mow down this Squitzerlander. Weaknesses identified: his crippled legs prevent him from Super Jumping. Chances of victory: 99.9%.

Commencing roll. Roller is currently picking up speed while moving towards foreigner. Foreigner only walks toward the fountain, completely out of roller's path! Roller unturnable! Currently crashing into scrap!

Foreigner looks down into fountain, observing waters. Touching the water will surely result in serious injury.

"Hey, stay away from that fountain!"  
"GRRKGRRKGRRKGRRKGRRKGRRK!"

Immediately upon touching water, foreigner is vibrating spontaneously. Even if water alone is not hazardous, there is a lone Zapfish within the waters. Chances of electrocution: a pretty huge chance.

Foreigner's vibration resembles a funny dance. Maybe I should take note on it for our next concert.

...NOT THAT I'M PART OF A POPULAR POP DUO OR ANYTHING, NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!

Foreign Inkling yanks out hands immediately. He's grasping his hand to check any visible damages. Scanning damages... Scanning complete:

...

...

...No damages?

 **ERROR! ERROR! FOREIGN INKLING HAS DEFIED THE LAWS OF PHYSINKS. HE HAS DIPPED IN WATER AND REMAINS UNHARMED FROM PROPERTIES OF WATER!**

...Aside from the electrocution of course...

Foriegn Inkling walks up to a tree. Analyzing brain waves... Analysis completed: Foreign Inkling is planning to use a branch to scoop out the Zapfish unharmed. Accuracy of analysis: 66.6%.

Extraction of Zapfish successful. Foreign Inkling has removed Zapfish from fountain with little/no difficulty.

Urge to know the type of Inkling rising. Inkling contains following conditions no other Inkling should have:  
Water Immunity  
Crippled Legs  
...Smartness or something?  
Foreign Inkling is hiding something and finding out what it is is now current priority.

 **Commencing Operation: Helmet Removal**  
"OH MY COD, IT'S THE FINAL BOSS! TURN AROUND BEFORE HE GETS YOU!"  
"Haa?"  
"Yoink!"

Removal successful. Scanning Inkling... Scanning... Scan... ...

...What

The

Kracken...

Discrepancies located: Inkling has no tentacles, ears and teeth are distorted.

Strange Inkling is now peering into my eyes.

"...Aori!?"  
"Will you stop calling me that!? I am _NOT_ Aori! I! _AM!_ **_CALLIE!_** "

...OH CRAB! IDENTITY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED! ABORT MISSION! ABORT MISSION! RETREAT FOR NEAREST EXIT! RUN AWAY!

...

...

...

NOT BEFORE TAKING THE ZAPFISH OF COURSE! _YOINKERS!_ OK, NOW RUN AWAY!

* * *

...

...

Inputting Messages:  
"Sorry for falling back on this one Agent 2, but my cover was almost blown!"  
"Ugh... Well I guess two outta five ain't bad. It's something, that's for sure."  
"...Agent 2?"  
"What's up?"  
"Well... have you noticed anything strange about Lyra's... Friend?"  
"Which one? The one with the glasses or the hyperactive one?"  
"The one with the helmet obscuring his entire face."  
"Ooh, that one. That one's got a crippled leg condition for some reason. Not sure why though."  
"You think maybe, just maybe that he's not an Inkling in the team?"  
"Whoa, back up there Agent 1. Wherever he's from, he still cares about the team."  
"But..."  
"You said it yourself: he was trustworthy enough to keep that Zapfish that night."  
"...Well when you put it that way..."  
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him tomorrow. I'll take care of him if he does anything funny."  
"...Thanks. Agent 1, out."

 **MISSION COMPLETED (Somewhat)**

Current time is 9:30. 30 minutes remain until map rotation begins. Current goal: make it to the studio.

...

I DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESS IN THE STUDIO, JUST HANGING AROUND AND DOING AGENT THINGIES!

...

...

...You aren't buying any of this are you...?

...

...

LOOK OUT! FINAL BOSS BEHIND YOU AS YOU'RE READING THIS VERY MESSAGE!

 _HANG-UPPERS!_

 **End Transmission**


	17. Gary - A Whole New Level

"Pew! Pew! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! DEAD!"  
"Again? Dang, you rock this game. I admit defeat."

I slowly dismissed myself from the arcade machine. Of course, being the peppy girl she was, Linny urged me to stay for 'just one more round'. This girl definitely has the energy to beat me in Ikaboom a whopping 1337 times and _still_ not be satisfied! I guess the sheer amounts of lighthearted news got her more riled up than usual. "Well, if we're going to play another round, how about a different game?" I asked her.

She got off from the machine and observed the rest of the machines within the arcade. "I dunno..." she said, "Squinistar's kinda boring, Tentatris is weird, and Marie Sisters is just flat out impossible." It was clear that she was intent on going for another round on the same game, and I'm dragged into it whether I wanted to or not. Oh well, I suppose another round can't hurt. "Just make sure you give me a headstart this time around, OK?" I asked her. There was no way I'd be able to beat her when she knows all its secrets and tricks.

* * *

 **GAME START!**

I found myself within a dark labyrinth. Surrounding me were crates, holding contents waiting to be picked up. I bust open the crates and picked up a couple special items. I had to pick up more fast; even if I were to pick up 30 different special items, I still wouldn't be able to match Linny, who could get around as much as 50 within 10 seconds! The clock was ticking and I had to hurry before she made her move.

"Better hurry, or I'll start coming for you!" she taunted as she stood there in her own center surrounded by boxes.

I suppose the best course of action would be to get the items nearby Linny. Once she started, she would have to scour for items within my area. I would have the upper hand, being that these items make me move faster, fight more efficiently, and use bizarre weapons. I managed to grab most of the ones within Linny's area, but my 30 seconds were up.

"Alright, you had your headstart. Now, here comes the BLAM!"

And within mere seconds, Linny had disappeared from the map.

"What the Kracken!?"  
"Surprise! This game has a balancing system where the character is instantly teleported into a secret room should the odds be unfair. You managed to get my power ups and I wasn't able to get my hands on even a single one. With that, the system is trying to balance the game by giving me special powers that should equal out yours."

So _that's_ why she gave me a headstart...

And just like that, she reappeared right across from me, completely decked out in special items. I have to admit, some of them put even Roy's boots to shame.

"Guys!" a voice called out. "Huh?" Linny cried. She was completely distracted and left vulnerable for me to go for the kill! I made my way over to her and pressed the button.

"Dead."

Linny completely decimated me once again! Darn it, she knows just when I'm coming around even while distracted!

 **GAME OVER! PLAYER 1 WIN!**

* * *

I looked up from the machine and saw a pretty upset Lyra. "...How long have you been waiting for us?" I asked her.

"A pretty long while, that's for sure! Roy's missing and you're playing arcade games!?"  
"Well, you know how it is for me and Linny..."  
"Lighten' up a little bit, why don't you Lyra?"  
"Lighten up? Lighten up!? Roy's missing out there, and he may get killed out there!"  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe he's doing fine. Maybe he's waiting for us back at the treehouse?"  
"Roy's been missing for 3 hours and you spend your time playing arcade games while he could be potentially dead!? I swear, sometimes **YOU CAN BE SO SELFISH!** "

Those words were enough to force Linny out from her chair. Her usual peppy mood was now gone, and in its place was cold, bitter silence. She turned around and left the arcade without a single word.

"Ugh, squids these days!" Lyra moaned. I gave her a sour look. If there was any squid that should be to blame tonight, it was her.  
"You are coming with me," I muttered in a dark tone as I dragged her by the arm and tried looking for Linny.

The winds were a bit cold outside the arcade. Without much of the power back in Inkopolis, some of the lights were off. I was a bit thankful some of the power was invested into places like this arcade, but that's besides the point. I looked around, trying to find where Linny could have possibly went. She was never this depressed before, so it was hard to think of a single place she might've went to. I began my search in the alleyways. Though it seemed most unlikely since they are dark, the alleyways were almost always empty. I kept traversing through the alleys until I heard a voice.

"Oi see then. Sorry ya had to go through so much, mate."

The casual, calm tone. The signature accent. There was no mistaking who this was...

"Spyke?" Lyra said in shock as we turned the corner to see Spyke sitting down right next to Linny. She was silently sobbing to herself while a couple of Super Sea Snails crawled around her.

"Sorry guys," she whimpered, "I just... Just... Spyke, can you tell them what I said?"  
"Sure, but that'll cost ya 30000 coins."  
"What!?"  
"Sorry love, but I ain't no messenger. I could become one, but I'd have to start my own service, which'll be dead expensive. That fee should cover it up though. Besides, it's better if you tell it to em yourself."

Linny sighed for a moment, hesitating every time her mouth opened. After a while, she finally mustered the courage to tell us,

"Back in that kettle, Ochtung called me selfish. I thought it was just a simple insult at first, but then I remember the times I've held you guys back... Times when I was hard on you even... Maybe I should just leave this group and everyone will be happy..."

She got up and started walking out of the alleys. Lyra then grabbed her by the shoulder. "What do you mean? You've never held this group back once. We need a great roller like you to fill up our unbreakable trio."

I nudged her arm, reminding her of something else to say.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry I blew up at you back then. I was just worried because Roy can't respawn like us. If Roy dies, he stays dead for good. I don't want that happening to anybody, no matter what they are or where they're from."

I smiled as I watched the two hug each other sympathetically. They've all matured greatly ever since this whole Great Zapfish disappearance started throwing Inkopolis into chaos. That moment was shortly lived however, as we were interrupted by footsteps and silent growling. The three of us pulled out our weapons and got ready for the incoming threat.

"Whoever's out there, show yourself!" I yelled. As the steps came closer and closer, a strange light began emanating. That light grew brighter until we found out who it was.

"Ah! Gyoakahr! Lyra, Linny, Gary, Sezphim?"

It was Roy. Under that helmet was a face definitely like no other. He was holding onto three little Zapfish and his pockets were entirely flooded with papers.

"Whoa, Zapfish!" Spyke exclaimed, "Maybe we can work out a deal? I'll gladly take one offa your hands for 90000 coins!"  
"You ain't no electrician," Linny said with a familiar smugness she has every now and then.  
"Ouch. That hurts, love. Was just jokin' with ya."

We bid Spyke farewell as we all left the alleyways. With the three Zapfish Roy was holding, that got me thinking about something.

"If we could direct power to any part of the city, where would it be?"  
"I honestly wish it was home. I miss my electric blankets and nightlights."  
"Same here. It's been days since I last wrote in my diary."  
"...Heh. Great minds think alike, huh."

The four of us returned to the arcade, where we caught up on some games and fun things. It's stressing to know what we'll be up against next, so having high spirits on the get-go will help us out a ton.


	18. Marie - Roy's Turf Test

_"I! WANT!_ _ **A BURGER**_ _!"_  
 _"No, Callie! I! Don't! Sell! Burgers here!"_  
 _"Yes you do~!"_  
 _"No, I don't!"_  
 _"Really?"_  
 _"Yes!"  
"THEN YOU CAN GO TO HELL MARIE!"  
_ _ **SPLAT!**_

* * *

"Aaaaaand cut!"

And thus ended Act #2 of a hilarious skit for our upcoming Burgers vs. Pizza Splatfest. We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't have Respawn Pads at bay, but luckily we do. Despite being funny, it still hurts. It wasn't because of how painful it was, but it's really my losing streak. I've been the leader of the losing team for a whopping _15 times in a row._ I can only pray that this one will end in victory. "You OK?" Callie asked me as I stepped off the pad. I nodded at her, "I've had worse." I looked out the studio window and noticed Lyra and her friends walking into Inkoplis Tower, the central attraction for Turf Wars and Ranked Battles. "I need to go someplace quick," I told the crew, "You go ahead and film the rest without me." I got into my Agent 2 outfit and walked out while my cousin continued the skit with another actor.

 _"I want to buy a pizza pie!"_  
 _"...I don't sell pizza... Only burgers..."_  
 _"NYAHAHAHAHAHA! NYAHAHAHAHA!"_  
 _ **SPLAT!**_

Yes, you read that right. I'm an agent and Callie's actually my cousin. She's probably already slipped that out by now. What? You knew that already? You're crazy.

Anyway, I had to keep a promise I made to her last night: I'd keep a watchful eye on Roy to see if he was trustworthy. I really don't know why I should be doing this. Didn't she fully trust him on that mission days ago? I still had to keep my promise to her, so I followed the group inside. I overheard a conversation between the three of them. (Roy's there too, but he's a foreigner.)

"...So in the end, it's still 3 vs. 4..." Linny said, sounding disappointed.  
"That seems so," Lyra said sheepishly.  
"Well that's unfortunate." Gary said.  
"Yeah, sorry about that. Roy just doesn't want to do Turf Wars and I can't blame him; if I only had one life to live, I certainly wouldn't be throwing it on the battlefield. Besides, he seems to be interested in those weird papers he keeps finding."  
"So then why not leave him at the treehouse?"  
"Are you kidding? I can't leave him unattended! The Octarians know what he really is and I don't wanna know what they'll do if they find him!"  
"Sounds reasonable. After all, they wouldn't dare attack Inkopolis with a ton of witnesses around."

From what I've gathered from this conversation, it appears that Roy has gathered a number of Sunken Scrolls, documents that my grandpa Cuttlefish used to have. The documents contain some interesting history between Inklings and Octarians during the Great War, but he says he accidentally lost them. I kinda doubt that. Anyways, I saw the group heading toward a vacant elevator. I had to follow them somehow, so I went up to the registration desk. "Sign me up for a Turf War!" I spoke the instant I reached the front of the desk. "Ya with someone?" the worker asked. "Nope." I answered. She then handed me a number. I just sat back and twiddled my fingers a bit until my time came. I boarded the elevator with some other Inklings and we were off to Museum d'Alfonsino.

"Hey," one of the Inklings asked, "It's funny."  
"What is?" I asked them.  
"You kinda look like that one girl I see on TV every so often. Are you a fan?"  
"Heck yeah!" I answered, trying to keep my true identity concealed.  
"Cool, sis. For Team Burger! WOOT!"

I think my soul just busted upon hearing that.

My plan was simple: I would keep battling until my team runs into Lyra's team. Once that happens, I'd sneak up to Roy and find out what he does alone. The doors swung open and we emerged from a pink pad. Not exactly my color, but it'll do. Unfortunately, the team we were fighting against wasn't Lyra's, so I might as well see if my Charger skills haven't rusted. Luckily, we emerged victorious that round and I scored the most points on my team with 2015p and a splat score of 14-0.

"Ha! No Inkling can stop the mighty Ma-" I quickly caught myself. I can't reveal myself in front of everybody, or there's gonna be a huge amount of chaos going around. "...Vooshka!" I quickly finished. The others were quite impressed. "Wow, a pro Charger on our team..." one of them spoke, almost speechless. "Da! You guess right!" I spoke with a flawless accent. "You gotta tell us where you're from!" one of them begged. I only smiled as I turned my head back at them. "Is biggest secret between me and family!" We all stepped back onto the Respawn Pad, which then enveloped us into an elevator. Within seconds, we were back in the lobby.

"Who wants play again?" I asked the team. The three of them all agreed with glee, as we boarded another elevator. This time, it sent us to Walleye Warehouse. Luckily, we were facing off against Lyra's team. The squids started looking a little nervous. "Woah, it's those three! They can chew gum and kick coral without a fourth member! And now that they have one, we'll be decimated!" The match began and the three of them went off. I decided to sneak off and find where Roy went off to. I saw Roy in a remote corner of the warehouse, eyeing at the Sunken Scrolls he's been collecting. I needed to get a closer look at these scrolls, so I pulled out a Scoped Charger and zoomed in on his paper.

The scroll he collected was a weird picture of what appeared to be an ancient creature millions of years ago, which we refer to as humans. I can't help but wonder why Roy was so engrossed with that picture. He went over to the next picture, which showed their fossils. This one was fossilized during some sort of ritual involving machinery, but nobody ever found out what it was. The deeper he looked into these pictures, the more uneasy he seemed. By the time he reached the final picture, he was in complete panic. Suddenly, he turned around and gave me a mixed glare.

"Phiesphaum!" He irked. Oops, I guess I forgot that my Charger points a visible laser beam while I charge it. I quickly stepped back while he did the same. With the scrolls stuffed into his pockets, his boots started gushing violently. He was getting ready to stomp me. The both of us were suddenly interrupted by a loud scream in the distance. We both looked to see what it was. We saw Lyra's team completely cornered by the group. The group had all their weapons pointed at the three, while they were standing in a small splotch of their own ink, getting smaller by the second.

 **1 minute left!**

"We're doomed! We've lost this round!"  
"It's not over yet! We can still win this!"  
"Sorry guys, I've been careless..."  
"No need to apologize right now, just do something quick!"

Roy then looked back at his pockets, then back to his friends. He would either choose his scrolls or his friends. After a quick and careful thought, Roy then instantly gushed to the rescue. "Roy is credit to team..." I uttered to myself as I smiled at his decision. Just before the barrage of shots broke out, he instantly landed in the way, taking several shots all over his body. Strangely enough, he never got splatted. In fact, he was still taking shots for 5 seconds and he was still alive! "Lyra! Linny! Gary! Gao!" He yelled out. The three of them nodded as they started spreading their ink away from the barrage. Soon after they left, a bullet of paint knocked off his helmet.

"Yow, what the kracken!?" one of them spoke, "Guys, stop firing!"

And just like that, the entire team stopped. Lyra's team stopped. Both teams now eyed at Roy's true form. No tentacles, strange ears, strange teeth, everything. They all got a good look at him.

"Ack! Quick Linny, give him your cap!"  
"I think they know that already..."  
"Wowza gang, you got THIS in your team? You sure are a legendary team..."

Roy quickly grabbed his fallen helmet and darted off into a corner of the warehouse where nobody could see him.

"Look, how about we let you have this round if you don't say a word about this?"  
"...I dunno, he seems fishy. I think I'll call security on him to see-"  
"50 SUPER SEA SNAILS, FINAL OFFER!"  
"Deal!"

 _ **3!**_

 _ **2!**_

 _ **1!**_

And just like that, Roy's identity was kept a secret. In return for those Super Sea Snails of course. The team must have serious dedication to each other if they were willing to sacrifice each other's possessions, Gary being his snails and Roy being his secret identity. Callie was right from the very get-go: Roy was trustworthy to be part of the Squidbeak Splatoon. Even though he may not be an Inkling, he still cares deeply about his team to even get hurt. It leaves me to wonder though, will he still be able to respawn even if he's not an Inkling? Was this what Lyra meant when she said "One life"? Honestly, I'm more curious than frightened at what he really is; Roy is an ancient creature nobody knows much about!

The team bid their farewells as we stepped back onto the pad. We were sent back to the lobby.

* * *

"Is nice meeting you three!" I smiled with that accent as I headed back for the studio. Suddenly, one of them pulled me back.

"Before you leave, quick question..." one said, "CAN WE GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH ON OUR GUNS!?"

"Guess you can see right through me, huh?" I smirked as I grabbed out a pen from my pockets and signed each of their weapons. The three all squealed in delight.

"Wow! Now I'm totally on Team Pizza for this!" And with that said, my soul started feeling better.

"Stay fresh you guys!" I said with my signature pose. They all pose back. We then went our separate ways.

I returned to the studio, taking off my agent outfit. My cousin instantly ran up to me, wondering how it went. "No need to ask, it was OK." I said as I patted her head and smiled. She may have sighed with relief, but I'm pretty sure she's still skeptical about Roy's true being. Naturally, anybody else would be too, but I think Roy's a nice person and maybe Callie would like him too. I decided to rest for now at our usual resting place, but something was wrong. Something was missing...

In an instant, I found out what it was.

"WHO TOUCHED MY GUN!?"


	19. Roy - Disruption

_"You should've left them."_  
 _"I can't do that! They would've died!"_  
 _"But they can always come back to life."_  
 _"Don't you know how painful it is to die!?"_  
 _"They brush it off like it's nothing. They don't seem to mind death."_  
 _"Well, I've never died in my life and I don't plan to!"_  
 _"Sometimes, I wonder why I'm stuck with you. I hate you."_  
 _"Well, screw you too!"_

This argument going around in my brain has lasted long enough. Right now, I need to get out of here. With my identity revealed to other squids besides Lyra and her friends, it's only a matter of time before word gets out that there's a human among them. If that happens, what would they do to me? I don't want to die playing a sport that's supposed to be "fun"! I need to get someplace safe, and Lyra's treehouse is the only place I can think of that'll keep me away from these bloodthirsty squids.

 _"I need to avoid every squid kid around here, I can't die!"_  
 _"Die? You're hilarious. Are you so sure that these kids are the only dangerous ones?"_  
 _"What do you mean?"_  
 _"Aren't you the one that got a kick out of drowning them at the rigs on the first day?"_  
 _"...Shut the hell up!"_  
 _"And you got more kicks murdering an octopus girl!"_  
 _"That was different! She wanted to kill me!"_

Augh! Stupid brain pointing out every flaw within me! I just wanna go someplace alone!

"Qweii!" a pink girl piped as I accidentally bumped into her. I quickly turned around and headed the other way. Of course, that only lead to bumping into more squid kids. I tried avoiding eye contact, but even so they are relentless when it comes to gazing at me. Despite the attention I've garnered in the city, I've managed to make my way into the park right outside of town. It was peaceful, calming, and best of all: devoid of any squid creatures. I instantly walk up to a bench and sit down. Jeez, if only my helmet didn't go flying off during that intense fight. I need time to assess the current situation here.

As of now, I am currently the only human in this world. Where I am is unknown, but I am someplace in the future where humanity has been wiped out by a flood according to a journal entry. And with these octopi targeting me, soon the entire race will go extinct. I'm starting to have little regrets about wandering into my uncle's basement, but it was nice to get away for a little bit. Too bad there's no way back though, or is there...? Whatever the case may be, I'm trapped in the future for the moment and I am in serious danger.

I have to calm down a bit. Things weren't too bad here. I took a good look around the park, which was pretty peaceful and serene. The birds were flying carefree in their own world, the water flows gracefully from the spout of the fountain, and a squid is bundled up in a jacket and cap with a cold mask, sitting right next to me.

"Eeek!" I screamed as I quickly scrambled off my seat.  
"Squilles?" She asked.

I only nodded. For a human from the past, I was rather displeased. If this truly is the future, shouldn't English have carried over at some point? God, this is just annoying having to put up with whatever squid language they're talking. If only I was able to walk a mile in their shoes for just a while...

We both stared at each other for a bit. Suddenly, the squid then leapt at me and took off my helmet, revealing my true identity. I wasn't going to be the only one de-hatted here, so I yanked off her hat as well. I was quite surprised when I found out who she was.

"...You're Marie!?"

She kept scrambling for her hat back, but she still has her hands on mine. I wasn't letting go of hers until I got mine back. After a little while, she then gave back my helmet in defeat. I then gave her the cap back after putting on mine. We both promised each other that nobody else would know our true identity. We didn't really, but I'd like to think of it that way.

She tugged my arm. I reluctantly followed her to a secret manhole hidden within some bushes under a tree. We climbed down and traversed through the sewers. I felt a little uneasy. I've been discovered by the town's most famous anchorman... err, anchorwoman... and now she's taking me someplace strange. Where to, though? My question was answered the moment we reached a familiar ladder. Once we scaled the ladder, we were back in the valley. I remembered this place well enough, and I was kinda hoping I didn't come back here. However, I did swear to myself that I would keep Lyra safe from these octopi.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?" I asked Marie. She called out a name, and another squid stepped forth. This squid looked vaguely familiar...

"Hold up, you're Aori aren't you?"  
"Kya! Kyera Rahiorao!" she muttered angrily at me.  
"Well I didn't think you would be part of the morning news... And the afternoon news... And the eve-"

We both heard clicking sounds coming from below us. Our legs were chained up and linked to each other. We both looked at Marie, who only smiled back as she dragged us to a nearby kettle. She was setting up the two of us for a little heart-to-heart by forcing us into a kettle, bounded in weird chains. I was not enjoying this one bit. I could tell Aori wasn't enjoying it either, as she was struggling to get her leg free. She tried shifting into a squid, but instead got electrocuted. We were instantly shoved into a kettle, falling into another one of the creepy octopus hideouts.

Thankfully, we were able to stick the landing. Even so, the first thing Aori did was run up to a corner and cower. Shouldn't I be the one to cower from her? She's a killer of... things, and I certainly don't want my leg chained with a killer. While she was busy sulking to herself, I took a good look around at the hideout. It was strange to say the least. It seemed to be some sort of flying railroad. Despite the lack of supports, the tracks held on just fine. Not only that, but there was a functioning train flowing through the tracks _upside down_. I swear, these hideouts are getting more creepier.

But now was not the time to panic. I want to get out of here and away from her as soon as possible, so I was going to get out of here. But then something stopped me from gushing out. A thought crossed my mind. A thought of pure stupidity...

"Dammit, why did I forget to refill my tanks?"

I've used up a ton of paint since I first used these boots. I'm more than sure that the reserves are already more than halfway empty. I suppose with all these paint going around, I could refill my reserves and then go up. I picked up the crying girl and comforted her. "I know how much you hate me," I told her, "And I hate you too, but I'm willing to put aside our differences for the both of us so we can all go back to our normal lives. What do you say we find some paint and get out of here?"

"Hyara?"  
"I'll take that as a yes."

We made our way through the twisted maze of flying tracks. Strangely enough, the place was empty. Or rather, it seemed empty. No octo soldiers were present, and the place was somewhat calming, despite its alien structure. Within our sights was a pool of purple paint. I've been hating purple ever since I've ran into these octopi, but any kind of paint will do as long as I can gush the two of us out of here. As we approached the pool though, we felt a rumbling.

Something was emerging from the purple pools. It was a gigantic robot armed with strange beakers of liquid, similar to the ones I saw in the basement. And the ones manning the robot? None other than octogirl herself and her octotroops. Big shocker. One of them tossed out a beaker, which shattered onto the both of us. In an instant, I felt entirely sluggish and every part of my body was being weighed down by a ton.

"Ooowwwwww... WWWhhhaaattt hhhaaappppppeeennneeeddd?" I heard myself speak. I was slowed down, and so was Aori!  
"Nnnyyyaaarrraaahhhooonnnaaa Mmmyyyaaahhhaaa!"

Then the girl leapt off the machine and pulled out her gun. I was too slow to dodge her bullets, but strangely she was only keen on shooting me. Why she didn't go for Aori, I won't know. Aori grabbed out a giant paint roller and managed to knock the gun off her hands. Soon after, the weight on my body was lifted. The effects wore off! The octogirl growled as she then ran to tackle me. During the struggle, I noticed another beaker being thrown into our general direction. The beaker shattered onto the three of us, and then our throats started burning.

After a couple seconds, the pain subsided.

"Ah, much better!" I heard Aori say.  
"Morons!" I heard the octogirl shout at her lousy troop, "Don't throw those Disruptors on ME!"  
"Wait. What happened..."  
"...To my voice!?"

...Wait a second, wasn't I exposed to the beaker's strange properties too? Dare I even...?

"Squiiero Nyrakero Quee!" I heard myself utter.

Tensions rose on both the battlefield and the giant robot decked with beakers and octopi.

"Idiots!" she screamed, "Throw in the next Disruptor!"

The troop just looked at each other, confused.

Moaning furiously, the girl sprang for the machine. She dug out for more beakers and started throwing them all over the place. With weird unpredictable effects, I doubt we would be safe here. Despite the dangers, I had to risk gushing Aori and myself to a safe place. Luckily, I had just enough paint to do so. We hid within a moving train, hoping that she wouldn't find us there.

"Come on out, you bastard!" I heard her screech. She's sent a search party looking for us. Thankfully, none of them bother to check the occupied train.

"Kya... Squeeiha Weioo Nyahera..." I uttered as I sat down. Aori sat down as well.  
"Bad!?" she screamed at me, "This is beyond bad! The Great Zapfish is stolen, Gramps has gone missing, and now my cousin's forcing me to look out for him along with YOU of all Inklings!"  
"Squiiiaeeo Quee Weioo?" I asked her.  
"...Sorry, it's just one bad thing after another. ...And to think it would top off with me in a small room right next to a monster."  
"Wei!"  
"Well, you are a monster. I've heard stories about you from Gramps. He says you used to eat Inklings and Octarians during the times you've roamed this world."

I looked away. What she says is a bit true, but I'm not the type to settle in for seafood! But I can understand how hard it must be for her to lose her grandfather. I uttered some squid language at her about how I had an uncle too.

"Must be hard without your uncle, isn't it?" she asked me.  
"Keh, weimo quiee."  
"Even if you did run away, that doesn't make you a bad person. You still miss him genuinely, so I guess that makes you great!"  
"Kyahera ha?"  
"What do you mean 'how can I tell'? It's easy to tell once you-"

She stopped there. Both of us perfectly knew why. She was no longer afraid of me, nor did she think me any less different than the usual "Inkling" she sees every day.

"Found ya!" I heard someone screech. It was the "Octarian" girl, and we were about to die.

"Kya! Nyouhera noo..." I pouted out loud, completely regretting the mistake of forgetting to refill my tanks.  
"They're not empty, they're full!" Aori pointed out. I looked at my tanks and just as she said, they were full. "These things can fill themselves up over time! Pretty cool, huh?"

I slammed my face against the wall. Had I known that sooner, I wouldn't be in this mess! But I had to get out of here now. I took Aori and darted off the train and onto a set of platforms. Just up ahead was a Zapfish, and right behind us was the Disruptor machine. The Octarian was now more mad than ever, as she pulled out another Disruptor. Who knows what this one'll do to me if it hits me...

"Squieero Kya?" I asked her.  
"Shut up, human!" she yelled, "I didn't have time to label these!"

She tossed the Disruptor at both of us, but I managed to gush out of the way. However, another one shortly after hit me straight in the face. I instantly fell down onto the ground, and my body was completely drained.

"Yes, yes, YES! I FINALLY **KILLED YOU!** "

But then, I stood right back up. I started feeling shivers and burns all over my body. I started feeling... excited! I couldn't describe this feeling, but I felt something within me and I can't contain the urge to hold back...!

"SQUEE!" I yelled out as I darted around the battlefield faster than I thought I ever could. Within two seconds, I was already on top of the robot. Here I was, right in front of her.

"Crap, that was the wrong one!"  
"Squieqweqweasdqweqweqsdasdwqeqdsawqeqwe..."

I was madly stomping down on the mechanized monster, tearing it apart to scrap with each gush. In just mere moments, the Disruptor machine was no more. I quickly took the papers I found within the machine, the Zapfish at the end of the platforms, and another pair of the Octarian's goggles. While I am uncertain why I did that, I didn't care. I gushed out of the hideout and back into the landing area of the valley. I instantly felt my body slowing back to its normal speed. All the hyper tension within me eased down a bit. My body felt ached and wasted after pulling off high-speed stunts like that.

I instantly noticed Aori, who was collapsed on the ground beside me.

"Holy mackerel, lay off the caffeine!" I heard her moan, "I'm still chained to you after a-Gaah! My throat!"

At that moment, I felt my throat burning too. The pain eased again after a while.

"Gah! Kyaherra Yeoeomi!" I heard her yell.  
"Sweet! It's back to normal!" I shouted in pure joy. Hearing myself speak in the right language never felt better than ever.

I heard a voice from behind. It was Marie, and she was holding onto a key. She unchained us from our linked prison and we were free to walk ourselves. The two squids reunited with each other while I decided to go my separate way. I had more important matters to attend to.

...Though I did look back. I got a look at the two squids who only waved and smiled at me. I guess even if they do know who I am, they feel safe around me. I guess I kinda feel the same way too. I smile back at them as I walked off into the sewers.

"Alright, let's see what's in here..." I utter to myself as I dug into the recently found papers. The papers were often riddled with this world's history and weapon blueprints, but I was only interested in the diary pages left behind by this mystery human.

 _"Why... Just... WHY!? WHY DID I EVEN SAY THAT!? This is a horrible fiasco! My nephew has wandered into the basement and is now lost through time! I feel conflicted, the paper warned me that he would've gone into the basement even if I warned him. I should've locked up that door when I had the chance. Now, my nephew is gone... Roy... Just where are you...?"_

...Nephew? Roy?

...

...

...

"UNCLE THOMAS!?"


	20. Thomas - Journal Entries

**Entry #1: 12 months until extinction of humanity**

This is a rather weird way to start off a journal entry. However, I have good reason to confirm that humanity as we know it will disappear within the aforementioned time limit: I have recently detected dangerous water levels rising. If this keeps up, humanity as we know it will not last. I am currently looking into the matter for a solution, but have found no ways to inhibit this incoming threat unfortunately. The solution is just unknown.

The rising water is not the only problem I have on my hands at the moment. Recently, my snobby sister has sent over her son for me to look after. Apparently, she needs to attend to a business proposal overseas. She should return within a month. Hopefully, this detestable rat gets rejected. Her rather spoiled nephew Roy is no different either. He is constantly disgusted with everything I offer him. His preferences are rather quite touchy.

It seems that my sister's bratty disposition is already rubbing onto him. I will not allow such a young child to be raised by such an irresponsible mother like her. Therefore, it is my duty as an uncle to properly raise him. As I am currently in the middle of researching methods to stop the water levels from getting dangerously high, I believe the best course of action would be having him occupied with books. I've given him my personal favorite out of all the lore and fiction within my collection. It's about two warring factions who would stop at nothing to see one another fully eradicated. Of course, only a few could see the truth, as well as the real threat. I am hoping that this book will certainly shed some light onto him.

While he was preoccupied with reading, I went back down to my lab to find a solution. At this point, I am desperate for any way to stop this incoming threat. Unfortunately for me, one year is just not enough time to prepare for this disaster. I need more time...

* * *

 **Entry #2: 11 months until extinction of humanity**

TIME! That's it! Yes! I'll invent a time machine and send in a probe to discover the source of the problem. If I can find out what happened, I may be able to find a way to stop it from approaching. And with Roy back to his rather snobby family, this'll leave me with more time to work on the project! As of now, I am currently in progress of building the time machine, but I have high hopes that this will solve the very problem that threats humanity as we know it!

I've double checked the results, and it seems that the waters will even reach the very hills this town was built upon. I am rather displeased that not even my own abode is safe, but I will have nothing to worry about once I have finished construction on this machine.

* * *

 **Entry #3: 11 months until extinction of humanity**

I have failed. Every probe I've sent into the time machine wounded up someplace underwater. The videos they've sent back always showed damaged buildings and drowned citizens. All these must have been footage from the future! Perhaps even I cannot defy the physics of time. It is a rather displeasing result, but I should've expected much once it was proven that time travel into the past was impossible. If time travel is not the solution, then I will not rest until I find another way to prevent the flood.

It may be quite difficult for me, but as long as I have my "purrfect" kitty companion by my side, I will always press onward.

* * *

 **Entry #5: 9 months until extinction of humanity**

Once again, my disgusting sister has left her son for me to look after. Though he is just as spoiled as ever, he seems to be a slight bit polite. Recently, he hasn't been bugging me during my experiments. Although, I will say that his preferences when it comes to meals are still as feisty as ever. What a spoiled child! In fact, I've noticed him consuming on bags of chips that he brought over for the visit. This spoiled child is going to spoil his own health if I don't raise him like a good uncle. Despite my personal feelings on the matter, I set aside my research and had him learn karate. Boxing is too much of a barbaric sport and fencing is too dangerous for him to handle. In the end, footwork is pretty much the only appropriate sport for the boy.

After spending time with Roy, something rather peculiar happened. As I returned to my research, a bright light immediately flashed right in front of me. What emerged from the light was a piece of paper. The paper was apparently written by me! It was a warning to keep Roy away from the basement at all costs. I already knew why, and I had to make sure that Roy doesn't go poking his head around the time machine. If he wounded up into the future, he would die. Nearly every single probe I've sent into that machine ended up underwater. I choose to assume that nobody taught the poor boy how to swim. What an unfortunate life this young Roy is leading. As of that, I will make sure that the boy never sets foot near the basement.

* * *

 **Entry #9: 6 months until extinction of humanity**

Stubborn politics! Time after time, I warned them about the incoming threat. However, they brush off my words as if they were mere rambling. We are in serious threat, and their choice to ignore me will be one they will never forget. Anger aside, I must find a way to stop this threat. According to my calculations, the waters will surely wipe out humanity in about 6 months. There is just no time for me to prepare! I felt hopeless.

However, that all changed when Roy asked me about my sudden sadness. He suggested that I stopped for a moment and listened to "music". I have no time to listen to senseless jargon of topics, but he insisted that I do so anyhow. Listening to his music somehow raised my morale. I was more than eager to get back up and try again. It seems that Roy truly has grown. I can tell he still hates everything I offer, but at least he's not open about it. Though, he still shows this at the dinner table.

What a magnificent boy Roy has become. I can tell that my parenting as his uncle is really paying off. If only I could raise him to work alongside me on my experiments, but this is not for a child. But perhaps he can assist me in some form or another...

As an experiment, I've asked him what course of action he would take should he be in danger from a mass flood. I tried to keep the current situation discreet, but he somehow gives me a curious look. Thankfully, he didn't catch on. His answer was a rather surprising one; he would focus not on how to stop the flood, but rather adapt to the flood. He insisted on building a huge boat that would cater to his every needs! Perhaps that is the best option after all! If the politics won't listen, let them drown in their own ignorance!

A truly remarkable solution! Though I do feel rather bad for looking out for myself, it serves the world right for being the ignorant pigs they are!

* * *

 **Entry #12: 4 months until extinction of humanity**

POIRUTVNPWOEFOCWFMPEWUCFPOMWFCSODIFJMSLDHFXIMEUFGXNOEIFXMIEGFOXIMLFLFHLMEFHXAEFHEIGFAWLFHLZDFHAWELFXHLEFUHZDS;FH;IH

* * *

 **Entry #18: 25 days until extinction of humanity**

I don't think I will ever get over the frustration of losing my dear nephew Roy. I've finished installing the last modifications to my house to ensure that it will float once the flood begins. However, I do not feel any content from completing this goal. The entire place seems poorly crafted. This house wouldn't even be able to keep my furry friend safe. My only solution for this feline friend was to cryogenically freeze him. If a new race was to somehow emerge after humanity is officially dead, perhaps they will raise him better than I ever could with Roy. I am a terrible uncle, and thus I am in no position to keep this kitten of possibilities. Please God, give me another chance to make this right...

* * *

 **Entry #23: 10 days until extinction of humanity**

I made sure to send that note into the time machine, but it was futile. If this machine always locates its subject into the future, then what is the point of even sending the note "to the past" in hopes of making sure I kept Roy safer? I looked back at my frozen kitten, safe within the confines of the capsule. I've set the timer to wake him up at 2 million years. I hope that to be enough time for a new race to emerge.

* * *

 **Entry #30:**

...If I have any regrets right now, it was that I was a terrible uncle...


	21. Lyra - All-Out Attack on Kettle 7

"Have you found him yet!?"  
"No. I've checked the arcade, the mall, and the the cafe. He's not there."

Roy has gone missing. Again. And we need to find him before he gets hurt. Again. I'm not worried about what'll happen if the Inklings find out what Roy really is. Since the Squid Research team is gone, I doubt they'll do any freaky surgeries on him anytime soon. What I'm truly worried about is if the Octarians find him. They kidnapped the researchers, so there's no telling what kind of overkill they're being forced to invent for these monsters. So far, Gary and I have been looking everywhere, but we can't find him. Linny just finished up searching her areas.

"Maybe he's at the museum! Or maybe the resort?" Linny suggested.  
"The museum is boring and Roy doesn't even know about the resort." I told her.

"Let's recheck the areas," Gary suggested, "Perhaps we can still find him while it's still day. With Inklings everywhere, the Octarians wouldn't dare to reveal themselves to the public." We all agreed, but we were stopped by two Inklings. It was the two agents, and they all had a look of unease.

"Don't tell me the worst has happened..." Linny uttered in anxiety.  
"Yes," replied Agent 2, "The worst has happened: WE LOST!"  
"Oh yeah, burgers for the win! Team Callie wins again!" Agent 1 bragged. She was promptly slapped on the head. "Ow! More importantly though, the Cap'n has been squidnapped!"

Cuttlefish? Squidnapped? This was huge news for the three of us. "When did this happen?" Gary asked. Agent 2 sadly shook her head. "We don't know. We thought at first that he wandered off someplace, but then we got a threat letter saying that Cuttlefish has been kidnapped and he'll make sure he never respawns if he dies!" The three of us looked at each other with worried glances. Gary stepped forth and asked the two, "How is that even possi-" He was instantly cut off by Agent 1 as she grabbed his arm. "There's no time for that! Come with us, you three!" Agent 1 urged as she made her way to the sewers, "We think we know where he may be, and we'll need your help!"

"Alright," I told my two friends, "You two go with Agent 1, and I'll continue looking for Roy." Agent 1 tugged my arm as well. "If you're looking for him, he's with us! We don't have anymore time to waste, so let's get going!" I was rather dumbfounded. We've checked almost every place in Inkopolis, as well as areas outside Inkopolis, but we never even bothered to check the sewers. How embarrassing... "How'd you find him?" I asked her. She smiled as she looked back at me. "We had a nice little talk."

"Wait, you _actually_ talked to him!?" I asked, quite amazed.  
"...It's a long story, but he's waiting for us at Octo Valley right now!"

The three of us were dragged into the valley and sure enough, Roy was waiting for us right in front of a kettle. "We've recently discovered a kettle within this area," Agent 2 went on. "For some strange reason, this one feels different." Just by looking at the kettle, I could tell that this was a special kettle; there was a #7 marked on this kettle, and strange circus music could be heard from within. "Call it a hunch," Agent 1 followed in, "...But we feel as if this is where they're keeping him!" Just by being near the kettle, I could also tell that there was much more to this kettle than a big 7 and some circus music. I'm not sure, however; I've only stormed one of their many hideouts, but I'm sure these agents have been in enough kettles to know the difference. Regardless, I could tell that something big was going to happen. I called everyone to drag their hands in. Linny and Gary followed in, along with Agents 1 and 2. Roy followed in last.

"Alright everyone," I told them, "If this is truly where they're keeping Cap'n Cuttlefish, then there's no doubt that the big boss is with them as well. Despite how little we know about the enemy, we know this for sure: our skills as a Turf War Trio (sorry to exclude you, Roy and you agents) will make the thin line between success and failure! Since we are well above the status of 'SO HAWT' (Or 'On Fire' for all you Euro Inklings out there) most of the time, I'm more than confident that we can do this! And we WILL do this for Cuttlefish! For Inkopolis! For everyone! BOOYAH!"

"Booyah!" everyone chimed in.  
"Tsuyah!" Roy chimed in.  
"You still need to work on that..." Linny sighed, disappointed with Roy.

We all proceeded to jump into the kettle, but the fall was way long. Heck, it might've been longer than the ladder we took to get to the valley. While we were still falling, I decided to ask a couple questions to the two agents.

"So what was so special about this kettle again?" I asked them.  
"Other than the fact that it was invisible so that nobody will find it?" Agent 2 answered, "Well, it's the only kettle to actually have a name. Not sure what the number 7 has to do with anything, but it's just different."

And just like that, we finally landed. Every one of us hit the ground with perfect stance, ready to take on whatever threat that the Octarians would throw at us.

However, something was wrong with this one. Something was really off with this one...

"A carnival!? Are you freaking serious!?" Linny screamed.

As she stated, the surroundings did resemble that of a carnival. We were greeted with a 'Welcome!' gate right in front of us, doors wide open. The paths were littered with blinking lights flashing all over, giving the place some charm. Off in the distance were Ferris Wheels, Roller Coasters, and such attractions operating with what appeared to be Octarians on them. All seemed to be pretty peaceful under the artificial night sky, but we still cannot ignore the dangers; we were still upon floating platforms, keeping us from falling into the dark abyss of who-knows-what-lurks-down-there.

Now was not the time to speculate just whatever the heck this is, but we needed to find Cap'n Cuttlefish before he becomes sushi! The six of us darted through the main entrance and into the fray. We each took out the occupying Octarians within the area. Surprisingly, they were pretty easy. They didn't seem to plan their defenses well enough. We were able to catch most of them off guard and finish them with a couple shots. After some fighting, we reached the center of this wacky carnival. We found a huge map containing the several areas that were accessible for us.

"Let's split up here," I told the group. "Linny and Agent 2, you two head over to the Coasters area and see if you can find his whereabouts." The two looked sour, but reluctantly agreed as they walked off. "Agent 1 and Gary, you two search around the Ferris Wheel and find any clues." the two nodded at each other and instantly darted off. That only left me and Roy to search around the Midway to find any leads.

"Roy, you're with me. Let's go search the Midway!"  
"Yaoghiie?" he replied, completely unaware to the plan I just laid out.

We looked around the Midway. It was a simple straightway that had tons of buildings on the side. There were theaters, restaurants, carnival attractions, and such. Roy gave off a funny look, as if he knew the entire layout. "Heh. Disney," he chuckled. Before I could ask what he even meant by that, he instantly gushed down the road, taking out every Octarian within his sights. I decided to leave him to it while I looked for any leads of Cuttlefish.

I entered a building, filled with Octarians. The moment I pulled out my Splattershot, they all ran in terror. I managed to tackle one down, and lay the nozzle right near his face.

"If you don't want to be splatted, you better tell me where you're keeping Cuttlefish," I threatened him.  
"I-I-I have no idea what you're talking about!" he panicked. I pressed the nozzle down his face even harder.  
"Too bad, I guess that means a free splat for me. Hope you like ink."  
"WAIT! If it'll make a difference, I can tell you where Octavio is!"  
I eased my gun a bit, but made sure to keep my grip on him just right. "Who's this Octavio?"  
"He's our leader! He knows everything, I swear!"  
"Tell me where he is."  
"I-I have no idea! But if you leave me alone, I'll give you this!"

As soon as I loosened my grip on him, he handed me a key. "That's the key to the secret passageways! Use it in the alleyways located between the arcade and the ice cream parlor!" I took the key and walked off, but just as I was about to step outside, a glob of purple ink barely grazed my ear. I turned around and saw the Octarian armed with his weapon.

"...But you'll never get to him! When the Octo-Elite Splatoon gets here, you'll be sorry you messed with me!" he said with a menacing tone.

I instantly aimed at him pulled the trigger.

"AW, CRA-"

I walked out the building with the keys in my hand. If I could access the passageways, I could probably meet up with this "Octavio" guy. Chances are he has Cuttlefish captive. I contacted the rest of the group to gather them at the alleyway.

"Hey gang, I got a lead!" I spoke out.  
"Cool!" Linny piped up, "Where do we meet?"  
"Meet up at the Midway, I think I know where he may be!"  
"...Perhaps it vould be better to just give up right now, ja?" an unfamiliar voice called out.  
"What the-"  
"Ochtung!?"  
"It's been a long vhile, Gary. Such pleasure to see you again, and much less pleasure to see Linkopf again."  
"It's Linny!"  
"Bah, hardly vorth remembering such selfish Inkly who can't make bold sacrifices."  
"What are you doing? How did you hack into our communications?" Agent 2 asked.  
"Got a lit' help from the research team, we did!" an all too familiar and annoying voice replied.  
"Bill!" I growled.  
"Wrongo, missy! It's Bob!"  
"Does it sound like I care!?"  
"Just kidding, I'm Bill."  
"Stop screwing around, and let ME do the talking!" a female voice picked up.  
"Who... Just who are you, hacking into our system?" I asked her, rather intimidated by how she got our line.  
"Ah yes, allow me to introduce myself; my name is Octricia, head Octoling of the Octo-Elite Splatoon!"  
"Octo-Elite Splatoon!?" Agent 1 replied in disgust, "Complete rip-off, girl! Not fresh!"  
"I don't care what you think of our group. We've already gotten what we needed."  
I was a little scared to ask, but I did so anyway, "What do you mean?"  
"Tell me Lyra, have you been keeping tabs on your human friend?"

In an instant, my heart dropped.

"What the!? HOW DID YOU ALL GET HERE!?" I heard Linny scream.  
"Linny? What's happening!?" Gary asked rather worried.  
"We're surrounded!" Agent 2 replied, "We can't fi-"

Static was interfering with our conversation. I couldn't make out what any of them said.

"Lyr.. .he..re com...g f.r ..u! Do..t ..t the. ..rn.r y..!"  
"L..a! L.r.! LY..."

 **A communications error has occurred.**

This was bad. I lost all communications with the group, and now Roy's missing too! I needed to regroup as fast as possible. I made my way down the path and I've managed to locate Roy. When I saw him however, something was wrong with him. When I looked at his face, he was completely frozen! He had headphones attached to his head, and they were emitting a strange tune that seemed to keep him in some sort of trance!

"Surprised?" a voice called from behind. It was an Octoling, along with tons of Octarians surrounding me. "At first, I thought that this brainwashing tool was a rather crappy waste of time. But look at him now, unable to act on his own will! He is completely under our control! Who knew that this piece of junk actually did something for once?" The Octarians stepped in closer and closer, leaving little room for me and Roy. "You won't get away with this, Octricia!" I yelled, "Even if I go down, I'm sure the others will do just as fine!"

"You wish," she scoffed as she pulled out a Disruptor. She instantly shattered it all over me and Roy. Slowly, everything began fading to black.

"YYYooouuu wwwooonnn'ttt gggeeettt aaawwwaaayyy wwwiiittthhh ttthhhiiisss..."

Every part of my body was already going numb. The last thing I remembered was seeing Roy completely mind-controlled under the hypnotic headphones he had on.


	22. Kurt - Owen

It was dark. Pretty much so dark, I couldn't see me hands. Even if it wasn't dark, I still couldn't see em; I've been tied up on a chair for about five tales. Bah, whatever torture this octo-jerk wants to lay down on me, I'm more than capable of handling it myself! I've been a veteran after all. Although, I do worry a good bit sometimes, as I haven't been kicking much recently. Maybe I've kicked some tables and chairs, but that's really less of kicking and more of stubbing. But now, I hold me head high and prepare for me doom.

"Cuttlefishhhhh... It's been a while. How's it been, old timer?"

Something about that voice rubbed me off. It sounded just like a friend I used to hang out with. However, I remembered me friend being less.. Laid back and hip...

Nevertheless, I continue the conversation.

"I see time has done some war scars in ya as well, bucko," I reply.  
"War scars? Don't be ridiculous... This is who I really am!"

And within mere seconds, lights started blaring out all of a sudden. Me eyes were a little shaken by the brightness, but they eventually adjusted. I was in some sort of weird space station with metallic tentacles and speakers all over the place. Blimey, this place was strange. Even stranger was the voice, which was me old friend Owen! Owen was piloting some sort of strange mechanical robot complete with electric lights and turntables! What in Cthulu has this lad been getting himself into over the years?

"'Sup old bean!? Hope y'all be digging my new crib!"  
"Y'all? But it's just me here."  
"...Ah, forgive my rather irritating hipster drawl."

And just like that, he was back to the familiar old Owen I remembered: calm, collected, and rather reserved.

"Speaking of 'cribs', this fancy shmancy place must be yers, right?" I asked him in curiosity.  
"Ah yes, my new space station: a sanctuary to hold DISCO PARTIES OUTTA THIS WORLD!"  
"...Yeah, that ol' young and hip thingy doesn't suit ya quite right."  
"I don't believe I asked for your opinion on my 'stage persona', but I'm not exaggerating when I say that we're in space."

I took a look around the place. For a place built like such, the area was rather empty. At first, I was a bit convinced that we were somewhere underground. Of course, that all changed when I noticed a tiny blue ball off in the distance.

"Yes, Cuttlefish. Take a good look at that planet. Earth has been drowning deeper and deeper over time. At one point in our very lives, we both vowed to find an alternative resolution instead of senseless violence for domination. You may dominate that planet for all I care, as I have a functioning landmass that will promise better sanctuary than Octo Valley."

I shuddered at those words. Me horrible memories were flooding back, and I did not want to feel bellied-up with despair.

"Yes, definitely better than when YOU were around! Countless innocent Octarians died on that horrid day, and many have gone wandering without a home. All because your bloodthirsty slimeballs needed more blood to spill all over their unsatisfied hands. Tell me, have you ever known what it feels like to die?"

A rather odd question coming from Owen. There's these things called Respawn Pads that instantly bring an Inkling back to life if they get splatted. However, I've never used one in me entire life.

"I can't say I have Owen, bu-"  
"SEE!? You're just like them! You don't know pain, you don't know misery, you don't know loss..."

Owen turned away from me, holding back all his anger. I can tell that what happened on that day was never meant to happen. I'm truly sorry for such an event to pass, but I was never the one responsible for it! They just found out about it, honest!

All the anger has certainly snapped a string within Owen, as he began sprawling in his weird hipster talk again.

"BUT I DO, PUNK! And this feeling, it ain't ever going away! And you know whose fault that is? YOURS! Y! O! U! R! S! YOOOUUURS! So Imma make sure that it _**NEVER**_ happens again!"

Just within the reach of me vision, I saw something fishy, something zappy, something...

"That's the Great Zapfish!" I cried.  
"Good eye! That Great Zapfish is my only source of power for fueling this station. You've nothing to worry about; I don't plan on destroying Inkopolis..."

As Owen paused, he pressed a button on his mechanical doohickey. Suddenly, a giant monitor appeared from above, displaying a faint image. When the image was fully in focus, me heart dropped down deeper than the lockers of Davy Jones...

Lyra, Linny, Gary, and me two agents were all captured and kept within capsules, each containing a sprinkler at the top and a Respawn Pad at the bottom.

"But for the losers that wanna trash this party, I'll give them a party they'll never forget!"

The sprinkler overhead activated, spraying water all over the poor Inklings. As water kept dripping, their skins started dissolving until nothing remained but their garments. The Respawn Pads whirred as they were brought back to life, only to meet the same death over and over again. Me heart was growing heavier every minute I heard their screams.

"Gah! We'll get out of here! And when we do, I'll make sure you pay for this!" Gary screamed as he was writhing in his capsule.

Three shadowy figures approached Gary's tank. The poor lad was surrounded by em!

"You? Get out? Hah!" laughed the Octobomber, "Listen bud, dis lil' tank was built by dem Squid Research team! We got em to build this thing so that youse ain't going nowhere!"  
"Alzhough, I must say, zhe method vas rather... Forceful. Are you sure zhat threatening zhem vas necessary?" an Octosniper asked.  
"You don't understand, Ochtung," an Octoling replied as she turned and walked away from view, "This is war. In this world, it's kill or be killed."  
"Aw, somebody needs a hug! And spaghetti! And skele-"  
"Will you shut up, Bob!? I swear, I will demote you if you don't quit being an idiot!"  
"...Sorry..."

The monitor followed the Octoling as she walked over to Lyra's capsule. Within it, Lyra was writhing in pain from the sprinkling water overhead. She kept coming back, feeling pain over and over and over...

"Can you feel the pain of every Octarian you splatted in that kettle?" she asked Lyra. The intense pain was too much for the poor lass to answer.  
"Because this is all the pain and suffering of every individual in that kettle. **AND YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL EVERY ONE OF THEM BEFORE YOU FALL TO HELL!** "

With a snap from her fingers, another figure emerged into view. What I saw with me own two eyes was unbelievable. There was just no mistaking it. No matter which way you look it, that figure was...

"R... Roy...! What are you... Doing!?" Lyra managed to utter through all the pain. Roy was just standing there, staring alongside the Octarians. He wasn't smiling, he wasn't talking, he wasn't even blinking. His face was as blank as the water itself! "I'm afraid Roy belongs to me, now!" the Octoling smirked as she walked towards the lad. "But what would I want with a human who can't even shoot a gun? Honestly, It'd be more fun to kill him!"

"Hold up," Ochtung stopped her, "Are you sure you vant to do zhis? Under our command, he can be a valuable asset to our operation! Vhy not just give him a chance, ja? Trust me on zis one!"

Ignoring the advice, the Octoling takes the lad elsewhere. As she left the room, she mentioned something rather strange.

"I think I'll have a little fun of my own with this devil before I tear him apart from the inside!"

The monitor suddenly turned to me two agents, both crippled and killed by the waters over and over again! This was low, even for Owen. I thought he would never stoop to such cruelty, but I was wrong. As the monitor turns itself off, Owen then turns towards me.

"I must thank your two granddaughters for inspiring me as such," he spoke in his usual demeanor, "It was because of these two that your filthy hipsters were given monstrous strength. I've looked into your so-called "melodies", and I've taken the liberty to recreate the same structure. Surprisingly, it seems to empower the Octarians as well. With this newfound power of music, they will rise up from the ashes!"

"I believe yer talkin' about hope, are ya?"  
"Hope?"  
"See, the way I see this mishap is that yer people weren't as thriving because they were discouraged. They were all downed in despair and sorrow. It only took a push to get them back on their feet."

Owen laughed as he swapped back to his hipster disposition, "Don't be redicy-licy! There is NO hope! There's only power, death, and sweet music to BLOW YOU AWAY!"

At that moment, a small speaker emerged from the bottom of his machine. It slowly revved up, emitting an all too familiar sound.

"Bucko, I know you wouldn't use that on me," I said.  
"Silence, old fool! This Killer Wail doesn't even cover half of the sins your people have committed!"

But even with the Killer Wail fully charged up and ready to blow, he still didn't use it. I knew that somewhere, Owen didn't have the heart to blast his old friend down. I wouldn't have the heart to do him in either; we were too good friends to even think about it.

"Consider yourself lucky, Cuttlefish," he growled as the speaker tucked itself away back into the machine.

As if the place wasn't bright enough, lasers suddenly started blaring all over the place, the metallic tentacles started swirling around the area with neon hues, and the speakers started blaring loudly, I swear I saw some colors in them.

"After all," Owen growled, "You, my lucky friend, have the honor of occupying front-row seats to my new space sanctuary! I am no longer your friend Owen, but I am the one who will save Octarians everywhere from the likes of you! _**I! AM! DJ OCTAVIO!**_ "


	23. Roy - Not a Hero

Everything was dark. It felt way too cold. Not a single warm wind passed through. Where was I even? If I'm not in the plaza, or someplace in the valley, then surely this place must be... Well, wherever I am, I must be alive... or am I dead? No. I'm still breathing. I walk around to see if there was anything I could find within this dark void. There must be something I could find within this darkness that could tell me something; I need to know what's happening, where I am, and what I have to do now.

Suddenly, a door comes into view. This door, could it be...? No, it can't be. It just doesn't make sense to me. But upon closer inspection, that door seems oddly familiar. For some reason, I'm filled with unease. Why would I feel uneasy about this door? If I know this door, I wouldn't be having any problems with it. Is it a door I hate? I opened the door and find a rather cross old man awaiting me on the other side.

"Roy, come in," he says sternly, "We have much to discuss."

As ordered, I stepped in. His face, demeanor, and other features resemble someone I knew for a good while. Slowly, I remember this old man. He was my uncle, and I also remember running away from him. It wasn't out of abuse or anything, but it was simply because of my own greed. I sat down on a couch within the parlor as my uncle pours a cup of tea from across. He takes a gentle sip, then begins his words.

"I am very, _very_ disappointed in you. Why did you do this?" he asks me.  
"I'm sorry," I apologized, "I didn't think it would come to-"  
"No, that's not what I'm disappointed about," he spoke halfway through my apology.

He puts down his cup and sighs. He then walks over to the fireplace. The embers were slowly dying, but my uncle threw in some lumber to keep the flame going. As he stands there, he takes a deep breath.

"What I am disappointed in," he continued, "...Is what you were doing."

I looked back to my previous actions. All of them were merely just trying to find a way back home, right? There's nothing wrong with going back home, so why do I still feel wrong? It just doesn't make sense to me...

"If you can't answer that yourself, let me give it to you straight," my uncle said in a rather annoyed tone, "It's because you don't know who you're supposed to be fighting anymore."

Fighting? Slowly, memories are beginning to resurface. I remember hanging around with these strange creatures. Someone called them 'Inklings'. I also remember those other creatures that resembled octopi. 'Octarians', right? If I remember it right, these Inklings were trying to fight these Octarians to prevent their city from collapsing. If that was the case, then fighting these Octarians was the right thing to do, right? Why do I still feel so wrong?

"You've looked into their kettle. What you've fought in there was easy. _Way_ too easy. Perhaps they were so weak, that they were..."

Another memory resurfaced. I was battling in some sort of theme park with the Inklings. As I was destroying every Octarian in my path, I suddenly stopped. Something was wrong. Why would I be fighting scared creatures in a theme park? When I look at it, it almost makes it seem like I am the monster. In the end, I was no hero.

"...They were innocent civilians that I've been killing..." I finally responded.

I looked up to see if my uncle would say anything more. Strangely, he was gone. He didn't even leave a single trace. The fireplace was still lit, but the fire within was slowly burning out. When it finally did, everything in the room became pitch black dark. Once again, I was lost in the darkness.

"ROY! ROY, WAKE UP!" a voice screeched. This voice was not at all familiar, but I had a strange feeling I knew who it belonged to. I kept walking towards the sound of the voice, only to be greeted more voiced from the same direction.

"Roy, snap out of it! It's us! Don't you recognize us!?"  
"It's over, Linny. He seems to have completely fallen under their control."  
"Despite what you say, I refuse to believe that Roy is completely controlled. I know that somewhere within, Roy is still there!"  
"Gary's right! I still believe in him!"

A dim light suddenly shined in front of me. I kept walking towards the light, which kept getting brighter and brighter. Finally, when the light flashed entirely, I found myself in a strange room with a giant machine. Suddenly, I remembered everything. What stood in front of me, was this giant Octarian keeping my five friends hostage!

"GWAHAHA! Scream all you want, insignificant worms! This human's under MY control now! ROY! DUNK THESE LOSERS!"

My boots gushed rapidly and violently. Someone was definitely going to get dunked on. That someone is you, my little eight-legged crook!

As I sprang, I went for his face. With each kick, a gush of paint sloshed all over his face. I made sure to make each consecutive kick count.

"You! Keep! Your! Slimy! Tentacles! Off! My! FRIENDS!"

My boots were glowing and vibrating violently for one final kick. With that last foot up his face, he and his machinery were sent flying. His clutches on the Inklings were gone, as the five of them dropped back down to the ground. Within seconds of flying, the machinery exploded in a wide variety of paint colors. Not a single trace was left of that Octarian, but I couldn't care less. There was something else on my mind that I had to get out of the way.

"Wow, you did it!" Lyra cried out as she hugged me.  
"Yayers! I always knew you had it in you!" Aori added as she rushed over to hug me too.  
"Always? Didn't you doubt him at one point?" Marie pointed out.  
"Shut up! He's my hero!"  
"I knew he would come through!" Gary sighed in relief.

As satisfying as this victory was, I didn't feel like celebrating. Something's been bothering me.

"Well, I can't say it's been pleasant..." I finally spoke.  
"Nevermind that," Lyra replied, "We gotta celebrate! Let's all head back to Inkopolis and throw a sick party!"  
"YEAH!"

And just like that, the six of us all headed back to Inkopolis. Every Inkling there celebrated the defeat of the Octarian leader, and the rise of the six brave heroes that defeated the Octarian invasion. Music was pumping as Aori and Marie sang out one of their songs.

Well, I guess they're also pop stars. Just how many jobs can these two cover!?

But regardless of the circumstances, I'm glad. I look out at the summer sun, proud of everything I've done. I've kept my promise to Lyra, and that's all that matters. Lyra, Linny, and Gary stand next to me as we all gaze at the summer sky, reminiscing of our times together. I may not know what may happen now, but I'm ready to face what may lay ahead for the four of us, or six if those two can help. But all we can do for now is wait.

Our journey may be over, but the adventure has just begun.

 **THE END**

* * *

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

HA! AS IF!

With a single gush from my boots, I instantly sprang for Aori and kicked her head. The gushing was enough to split her head into several fragments. The songs stopped and every Inkling around was gasping at what I had just done.

"...Roy..." Linny said.  
"...What..." Gary said.  
"...HAVE YOU DONE!?" Lyra said.

"...You can quit fooling me," I spoke out. "I know this isn't the real world, and I also know that this isn't my body. I gotta say, you almost had me convinced. Next time, don't go off a B-Movie script."

Soon, the skies turned red and every Inkling churned their faces into the same, hatred-induced, octopus-looking face.

"You've finally figured it out, haven't you?" they all spoke at the same creepy tone.

At that moment, everything turned black once again. The warm summer winds disappeared, and in their place was the cold, unwelcome breeze that drafted through the air. As the winds grew more colder and bitter, a floating head popped up. That head seemed to belong to an Octarian, and that Octarian was the octo-girl I've been seeing all too often.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," she spoke with a bitter tone, "But now it's time to eliminate you!"

 **NEURAL REMOVAL PROCESS COMMENCE**

Neural removal? This sounded bad. And just as bad as it sounded, my body also started feeling bad. I noticed my feet glowing in bright lights, and as the lights began climbing up my legs, my feet were entirely gone.

 **NEURAL REMOVAL - 5%**

"Care to tell me what's going on?" I asked her head.  
"We've hooked you into a machine that tells us your every thoughts," she spoke, "Regrettably, the mind control was a fluke. However, erasing your brain is even better! Without you, the Octarians will be safe."

I understood this all too well. I was a monster in their eyes back then, and perhaps I may be now.

"Alright, so I was a little out of control. I'm sorry."

The head grew more furious. "SORRY!?" she shrieked. "Sorry doesn't justify your crimes! It doesn't cover the damages you've inflicted on our people! So many people died because of you, and you expect us to let you off just because you said 'sorry'!?"

"Well, don't they usually come back to life?" I asked. This was not helping me at all.

My entire bottom half disappeared, and now my torso was glowing.

 **NEURAL REMOVAL - 50%**

"Look, I was only around for a week. I don't think I'd be able to learn much about this world within a week."  
"You liar! You knew perfectly well that the Octarians were a suffering race, and you never bothered to consider just how much pain they undergo daily!"  
"If that machine can track my every thoughts, it can see whether I truly am lying. I am not lying when I say that I'm no better, and I truly apologize."  
"Vell, vhat do you know? Zhis machine isn't picking up any discrepancies! He really IS telling zhe truth!"  
"Quiet, Ochtung! I didn't ask for your thoughts!"

 **NEURAL REMOVAL - 70%**

I felt myself slowly disappearing, and the rate seems to be speeding up. If I don't think of something quick, I may be gone forever. My body may be there, but what would it do without a brain?

"If you're upset about the goggles," I suddenly spoke, remembering about how I took two of them from her, "I still have them on me."

The anger lessened a bit, but her hatred for me was still visible.

"I also know that your domes are collapsing. I've never paid much attention to those documents, but looking back at those, I can see why you'd hate me so much."

 **NEURAL REMOVAL - 85%**

"I just want to do the right thing. The way I see it, there is no right side. It's just two sides fighting for power, blindly walking over an easier solution."

The head just stood there, thinking over everything I just said.

"Zhink about zhis, Octricia! Vith him on our side, ve can still save our race!"  
"Whoa, I am not picking sides!" I yelled at the voice, "I just want to fix my mistakes..."

 **NEURAL REMOVAL - 90%**

Only my head remained. I am rather quite surprised that it hadn't fallen onto the ground, but I guess anything goes in a machine that delves deep into my head.

"I understand if you want me gone..." I told the floating head, "I'll go without a word."

...

...

...

...

...

But I didn't...

 **NEURAL REMOVAL PROCESS ABORTED**

"Alright," she sighed, "I suppose we could use a hand to help the Octarians."

I smiled, "Good, because I have three conditions before we get to work."  
The head frowned, "And that is...?"

 **1\. You let Lyra and her friends go.**

She cursed under her breath, but eventually muttered a "Fine..."

 **2\. You fill me in on what happened, and what's going on now.**

"Within this machine?" she asked me.  
"No, outside." I demanded.  
"But without this machine, it's impossible to communicate," she said with a puzzled look, "How do you suppose I do that?"

 **"That's where #3 comes in...** **"**


	24. Callie - Es-capeh!

_**Mission Log #...**_

Forget it. You know who I am already and you know what's going on, too. Dangit, I should've been more discreet...

Anyhoo, for some weird reason or another, the capsules we were trapped in suddenly broke out! We were free to escape, but we needed to act quickly! If the Octarians come back, who knows what painful nightmare-inducing torture device they'll put me in!

...Not that I was crying or anything, oh no! I'm a big squid now!

"We need to get outta here!" Marie replied, still under the identity of Agent 2, "Follow me!"  
"But what about Roy!?" Lyra asked, unaware of who she really was.  
"It's too late," Gary replied, "He's already under their control... There's no way we can bring him back!"

I know Roy is a good Inkling at heart... (Well, maybe not an Inkling entirely, but he's still nice!) Even if his mind is taken over, what the Octarians will never take over is his heart. Any kind of doubt or negativity towards the team just brings everybody down. I quickly come up with something to reassure the group back together.

"We'll find a way!" I said in an instant, "Roy will easily bounce back like he always does; he's got those boots after all!"

The team nodded to each other, and followed Marie out into the corridor.

Today's been a rather strange day. We received whereabouts of Cap'n Cuttlefish being somewhere within an underground theme park, then we get cornered and put into those hideous spawnkills, and then they break all of a sudden, and now we're running for our very lives, possibly abandoning our teammate! But I know we'll be okay, and we'll get Roy back in the end.

At the end of the corridor lies a labyrinth of catwalks. Below said catwalks was a pool of purple ink. This was going to be difficult, as we need to transform into squids in case we fight the Octarians. Turning into a squid here means that we'll slip through and fall into the ink! What's more is that there were multiple paths to take!

"I got this, gang!" Linny replied, "Eenie, meenie..."

 **ALERT! ALERT! THE INTRUDERS HAVE ESCAPED! LOCK DOWN ALL CORRIDORS AND CAPTURE THE INTRUDERS! I'D REPEAT THAT, BUT I SHOULDN'T BECAUSE YOU CAN JUST READ THIS!**

Crab! The Octarians have been notified of our escape!

"MOE!" Marie shouted as she grabbed Linny's hand and darted off to random catwalk. We followed her through the twists and turns of the catwalks. Eventually, the catwalks were filled with Octarians of varying shapes, sizes, and weaponry. Thankfully, we were able to make our way through using our weapons. Those silly Octarians forgot to confiscate our weapons before putting us in the torture room! Now, it's payback time!

Of course, I can't get too carried away. If I run out of ink, I have to retreat. My ink refills over time, but that time is butter-down-a-hill SLOW without turning into a squid. The others remembered to conserve their ink too, but Gary on the other hand...

"Die already, you abominations!" he screeched, as he kept splatting every Octarian in sight with a single shot from his Splat Charger.  
"Calm down, Gary!" Lyra said, trying to ease his anger, "We need to conserve ink if we want to get outta here!"  
"These scum don't deserve a life..." he growled, turning away to splat another nearby Octarian, "You've seen what they've done to us. Now consider what they'll do to everyone if they take over Inkopolis... Families will die, innocent Inklings will die, I swear I will kill every one of them before they rule the world!"

He suddenly shifted into a squid, slipping through the catwalk. There was another one below it, so he was perfectly fine. I wasn't sure though, it seems like his brain wasn't.

"You four go on ahead, I'll be sure to give every one of them a bad time."  
"Are you sure!?" Lyra yelled out to him, "I mean, I know you can handle all of them, but-"  
"There's a platform nearby that's got plenty of inkable ground. I'll be just fine."

Just as he said, there was indeed a platform nearby. He made his way there, inked the ground, took cover, and went all pew-pew within mere seconds. He was dodging all those shots like a totes baddy boss! And when he finally had enough, he didn't. He pulled out Splat Bombs and went all like BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! Holy mackerel, this guy can easily put Marie to shame!

"Agent 1, stop gawking! Let's get outta here!"

Right, now's not the time to be amazed by flashy footwork, we needed to leave and Gary's buying us time to do so. I'm not going to let a teammate's effort go to waste!

We kept running down the catwalk, which eventually led to another long corridor. The group kept making their way through and I followed. However, I stopped in the middle. I heard footsteps nearby, and I would be sushi again if I was caught! I quickly inked a spot, turned into a squid, and hid there. Even if I was hiding in that small splotch of ink, I still got a perfect view of my surroundings. I've managed to get a good look without getting noticed. These figures were the so-called 'Octo-Elite Splatoon' and...

Omigosh, is that Roy!? And he's got a weird helmet that's much different than his last one! This one seems custom made, decked with tiny speakers on both sides of his helmet, complete with a record at the center! What have they done to him!?

" _So is that why they can't get the Great Zapfish? I see. And you're sure that things will be fine just the way they are?_ " a voice emitted from his helmet.  
"Vell, not entirely..." an Octosniper replied sheepishly, "You see, zhere's still Octricia. She is having a... shall ve say... Grudge? Yes, a grudge against you."  
"I'm pretty sure she just needs herself a good plate o' spaghetti and jokes!" an Octobomber joked, "I know dat always brings me right round!"  
"Like a record...?" another Octobomber joked as well.

The two burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. The laugh was just so terrible, I almost caught myself giggling along! I kept myself quiet and listened to the rest.

" _But that just leaves me with another question: What about Cuttlefish?_ "  
"Vell, I'm not so sure myself. If anyzhing, I zhink it's best you forget about him. Nozhing terrible vill happen, he's just gonna have to endure some of Octavio's music."  
"Yeaya! IN SPACE!"  
"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!"  
"FOR ZHE LAST TIME, YOU SHVINES, VE'RE NOT GOING TO SPACE!"

The two aww'd in disappointment. Something about space...? This was something I needed to hear!

" _So, then that means that blah blah and blah blah are going to blah blah blah blah blah and then we blah blah blah blah..._ "  
"Yes. After zhat, hopefully blah blah blah blah blah vorld vill be blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah soda blah blah blah..."  
"Blah blah blah blah?"  
"BLAH!"

...I really wasn't paying attention to that part of the conversation...

" _...While we're on the subject, who's your favorite of the two!?_ "  
"Zhe two!? Oh, zhis is totes hard! I can't decide!"  
" _Well, I can tell you mine: it's Callie! She's the most adorable of the bunch, and she's got that whole song and dance down perfectly, unlike her prissy-perfect-pompous-priffy-pickleplum cousin Marie!_ "  
"OI! BEST REASON TO LOVE A LASS LIKE HER, DAT IS!"  
" _You know it, Bill! Totes amazers! You know a squid like her is perfect if she can drive a bike so professionally! I heard she's been working at Walleye's during her earlier years! Oh, I could hardly imagine what a toil such a sweet girl like her must go through to make a living!_ "  
"I know dat! I'm going through it myself! Though, we all know she can do it so much better!"  
" _Right? I know, and- **How long has that blot of paint been there...?**_ "

Yipes! Totes not cool! I've been daydreaming too long, and now I'm caught!

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" I screamed as I leapt out from my ink and pulled out my Roller.  
" _Aori!? How did you-_ "

With one powerful swing, I tackled him down onto the ground. I used this time to make a quick getaway before the others could follow me in hot pursuit.

Okay, so I made up that last conversation. I was getting bored, what do you expect me to do? Write down an entire life-story of the conversation? No, thank you! Anyhoo, I remembered them talking about space. Maybe they're building a giant space station that'll destroy Inkopolis? Boy, if I had one of those thingies, I'd call it 'The Death Squid'!

Keep it together, Callie! We need to figure out what this 'Space' is! Maybe Cuttlefish is up there somewhere? I decided to look around for any clues once I was alone again.

It sure was a little scary wandering alone in the corridor. Not only am I prone to an enemy attack, but I won't be getting any backup if I do encounter them, thanks to me lagging behind. However, I'm more than capable of handling this situation, so I continue my search. Although, it is really, really cold in here. I already miss the warmth of the surface, the perfect spot of sunlight at our studio, the-

EEP! Forget you read that! I'm not- oh wait, right...

All that wandering eventually lead me into a room. This room seems to be a bunker of an Octarian soldier. I was able to tell because of all the stuff he has; there were crumbs of snacks lying around, objects that appeared to be action figures of their Splatoon, (Ugh!) and a giant poster featuring Octavio spinning records in a space backdrop. I decided to get a closer look at it.

 **It's Omnipotent! It's Oc-tastical! It's OUTTA THIS WORLD!**

 **DJ OCTAVIO!**

 **That's right, folks! DJ Octavio will be performing live in the newly built space station this week! Get your tickets now at Kettle #7 and witness the greatest rave party in all the galaxy! Enjoy the lights and beats as you listen to some sick beats, guaranteed to move your feet! Show your moves  
at the new space station! Who knows, maybe your moves will get you the girl of your dreams?**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **BUT WHO CARES ABOUT THAT!? We all know that this is all about Callie! That's right folks, it's Callie who's here to stay! This adorable little Angelfish  
is bringing her song and dance into space! This is truly a feat worth bragging to Marie, who is totally never going to find out about this cool place and idea!  
There's no way that Marie will be able to live down this one! Finally, after all these years of being in the shadow, finally come see Callie's name and fame this week!**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **Seriously, QUIT DAYDREAMING AND GET OUTTA HERE ALREADY!**

A space station... This is something I've never heard of. But if that's where the final boss is hiding, then that's where he's keeping Cuttlefish. I'll be there to save you, Gramps!

As soon as I walked outside, I was surrounded. The entire 'Octo-Elite's were around me, along with Roy! The Octoling of the group walked towards me.

"Well, well, well... I see that one of you was too stupid to get away. What a shame."

At that precise moment, she lobbed a Suction Bomb. The bomb caught onto my shoulder, and I couldn't shake it off no matter what I did! She then pulled out a pad and tapped a couple of times.

"Ah, these were both made by the Squid Research lab! Finally, a bomb that sticks to the target and a machine to lock you to a single Spawn Pad! Guess where you're heading back to!"

I couldn't take it any longer. If I go back there, only to die and die again, I would go crazy! I can't go back there, it's just too much for me! But as my luck would have it, something strange happened...

" _Whoa, whoops! I seemed to have slipped and bumped into you!_ "  
"Roy!? What the hell are you doing?"  
" _Whoopsie! Clumsy me! I'm getting my fingers all over the Respawn Relocator_!"  
"ROY! STOP THAT!"  
" _Whoa! I accidentally reset coordinates to 'Octo-Valley Landing'! Silly me_!"  
"ROY, WHAT THE FU-"

* * *

My shoulder hurts... That bomb really did a number on that joint. I may never be able to drive a bike even if I wanted to, thanks to that. But now, I find myself outside and at the surface. I felt the familiar breeze blowing on my body. Though it may be aching after all that, it still feels nice.

"WHOA! AGENT 1 IS BACK!" I heard a voice cry out. It was Lyra, all too happy to see me. And I was happy to see her too.  
"Agent 1 is the greatest!" Linny added with enthusiasm.  
"Yeah..." Gary muttered. Despite how badly hurt he looked, he still smiled at me, "She's the greatest!"  
"I admit it!" Marie cried, trying so desperately to hold back her tears, "I will never hold a candle to the greatest cousin ever!"

Lyra and her friends all ran towards me and did those thingies that teammates do. You know, the ol' throw-our-team-leader-in-the-air-while-chanting-his-or-her-name kinda deal.

"CALLIE! CALLIE! CALLIE!"

...

...

...

I gotta stop daydreaming. One of these days, it's going to get me splatted.

The valley was empty. I guess they haven't escaped yet... Should I go in there and help them or...? No. They can handle it themselves. I'll just wait.

...

...

...

"CALLIE! CALLIE! CALLIE!"


	25. Octricia - The REAL Enemy

" _Octricia, please report to zhe briefing room! We need to discuss our next movement!_ "

I only stuff my head further into the pillow as I lay in my bunker, completely furious at what happened today. Just why the hell did Roy think it was OK to let the enemy free? If those Inklings get through, Octo Valley will be in ruins! My friends and family are all dead, and pretty soon everyone will all die! There's just so much going on that I can't even think straight right now. But if there's one thing I can get straight, it's that I should've deleted Roy's brain when I had the chance...

" _Octricia? Are you zhere? Please respond! Ve are vorried you might be dead! Zhat's... hopefully not zhe case, is it?_ "

Man, I wish Ochtung would just **shut up.** He's been calling me from my transmitter for hours now! If I don't bother to show up, does he not get the hint that I'm not interested in whatever he wants to tell me? I only moan in frustration as I ignore all his other calls.

Suddenly, the doors leading out to the hallway open up. It's the Octo-Elite Splatoon... And Roy... Roy, the heartless bastard.

"Ve got vorried! Ve all zhought you vere dead! OK, maybe not me but-"  
"Just shut up," I scolded at him.  
"DANG! Da doc just got told!"  
"All of you just shut up! Just leave me alone!"

The Splatoon gave each other worried looks, then disbanded. Of course, there was Roy. He only stood there, staring back at me. What more could he possibly want from me? I had the kindness to build him a device that makes him less of a moron, and being even more of a moron is his idea of repaying me!?

" _Octricia... That's not cool,_ " his helmet processed.  
"You know what's NOT cool? **YOU**. You had the nerve to let go of the enemy! They'll be destroying that space station and when they do, Octo Valley will no longer be a safe haven for us Octarians. My friends and family died during the Great War, and I'm not going to relive that moment with you screwing me over!"

For a moment, Roy looked puzzled. " _If they are dead, where are they now? I heard that Respawn Pads bring ba-_ "

I wasn't going to listen to any more of this moron's rambling. I got up and kicked him down.

"Don't you understand!? My family died before the Respawn Project was complete! If those Inklings hadn't invaded Octo Valley on that day, everyone would've been safe! BUT NO! You Inklings had to take away everything I loved and replace it with your selfish ideals without any concern of us! We were a suffering race and you still put down your crappy games and sports all over our home!"

Roy picks himself up, dusting himself off. " _Don't tie me to those Inklings, you know as much as I do that I'm nothing like them._ "

Those words granted him a smack across the face. He fell down once again, struggling to get back up. I held him down with my leg on his chest. I pointed my Octoshot at him to make sure he doesn't move. It may be useless now, but I am damn furious right now.

"This is all YOUR fault! My family, my friends, the whole Octarian race! We deserved none of this, and now we're all suffering because of you! Did you think that having your own share was good enough for you? Did you think that we wouldn't mind if innocent Octarians died during the war? Did you ever stop to think just what kind of- Wait, why am I asking you that? **YOU DON'T EVER THINK! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! WHY WOUL-** "

I suddenly lost my balance and fell when Roy gushed back up. I tried getting back up, but Roy kicked me back down. He held his boots firmly against my chest. I tried getting out of the way, but there was no ink for me to swim away to. I was trapped.

" _Listen to me, you little bitch,_ " his helmet whirred, " _Do you think I would ever enjoy that? No, of course not. I'm just a human who only spent a good week in the future, with little-to-no clue as to what the hell is even happening. The only guidance I ever got up until now was a bunch of gibberish talk, telling me that I'm no longer in my time. Are you truly that convinced that I want genocide?_ "

Before I could even reply, Roy went on.

" _I don't know anything about a Great War. Lyra and her friends knew nothing about a Great War. If it happened hundreds of years ago, do you truly believe that these Inklings are bloodthirsty now? I see them kill each other every day, and yet they always hang around like best friends after the match is over. Do you call that a monster?_ "

"They're killing each other! Can't you see that they're all monsters!?" I yelled at him, still struggling to break free, "What are you, stupid?"

" _Wrong. Just the other day, I saw a group of Inklings going into their first Turf War, and what I saw was interesting. Halfway through the battle, everyone stopped firing after someone got killed. They all ran to the Respawn Pad to check if she was OK. She told them it stung a little, but she was fine. They didn't want her to get any more hurt than she already was, so they ended the match there._ "

"That doesn't change the fact that they kill each other! What are you implying?" I asked him, confused about what logic he gave off.

" _What I see are monsters,_ " he admits as he chuckles for a bit, " _They're monsters that would never dream of the worst happening to one another. Even the most hardcore Inklings look out for each other, sometimes even putting themselves in danger for their friends. When I look at your gang, I see the same thing too. They all focus on supporting each other, making sure nobody gets hurt. Isn't that what you are? You're the leader of a group that aims to protect all of the Octarians._ "

I was left rather speechless. He then lifts his leg off of me and walks away.

" _To tell you the truth, that's what I used to think about you as well. On that day when you took that giant Zapfish, I was greeted with violence. I was just so mad about our first encounter that I fully believed that you were an enemy. But I used you as an excuse to label everybody else that exact same way. I felt bad for killing those that had nothing to do with this. That's why I surrendered in that kettle._ "

He pauses for a moment to let that sink in.

" _If you want to think of them as monsters, go ahead,_ " he beeps, " _But those were the old ones. In truth, they are a new generation of friends who would be more than happy to shake your hand._ "

As he said that, he turns to me and extends out his arm.

" _So, let's start over; Hi, I'm Roy. And I have no idea what's going on here. Please, help me out._ "

I feel so mad right now... But dammit Roy, you're right. I would love to kill you if that would bring back my family, but getting mad at this generation will do me no good. In fact, it would only start another Great War, and eventually everyone would go extinct.

I got up and reached my hands towards his. We each shook, and he smiled at me. I don't, however. It still doesn't help bring back my family, but I feel a little bit better, knowing that _those_ ones were gone. Feeling at ease again, I was able to think straight. Which reminds me...

"So, is that why you let the weird one get away?" I asked him.

" _What? No! I could care less about that thief! She still owes me big time for putting me in danger! I only did that because that was part of the deal._ "

The deal. Great, now _I'm_ the moron for forgetting that we made that deal.

" **ALERT! ALERT! INTRUDERS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN WEAPON QUADRANT 4! LOCK DOWN ALL ENTRY POINTS TO THE AREA AND STOP THEM!** "

Well, looks like I've got another job to take care of. I was just about to dart off, but Roy grabbed me by the arm.

" _I'm coming along too,_ " he beeped, " _This isn't just about the safety of the Octarians, but for everyone as well._ "


	26. Linny - He Hungers

"Let me at them! LET ME AT ALL OF THEM! I WON'T REST UNTIL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ARE **DEAD!** "

Gary's been splatting so many Octarians without rest! While I do admire his impressive skills, I don't want him to overwork himself to exhaustion! More importantly, I've noticed that he's been a lot more... Well, I dunno what to describe him. Bloodthirsty? Grudge-holdy? Bloodholdy-Grudgethirsty? Honestly, I'm starting to get a little worried about how he's going. Lyra was way, way more worried than I ever could be, though.

"Gary, stop! We need to get out of here!" she cried.  
"If we don't leave now, we'll be back at that horrible cage!" Agent 2 added.  
"Which is precisely why every single one of them must perish!" Gary growled at the two of them, "Our family, our friends, every innocent Inkling in this world will suffer because of those heartless abominations! I won't stand for this any longer!"

As we chased him further down the catwalks, I've noticed the signs that have been popping up. I looked carefully at the signs as I ran after him.

 **DANGER! OCTOWEAPON PROTOTYPE OCTOMAW AHEAD!**

 **OM NOM NOM AHEAD!**

 **DO NOT ENTER THE OM NOM NOM!**

 **THAT DOES NOT MEAN DINNER FOR YOU! IT MEANS YOU ARE THE DINNER!**

 **TURN BACK OR NOMNOMS WILL KILL YOU!**

OK, the signs didn't exactly say that. They were all signs of a crossed out machine. That machine looked real cute, so I thought I'd give him the nickname 'NomNoms'. It's a really cute name, fitting for a cute machine like NomNoms!

Gary was heading straight for a Launch Pad. If he stepped onto that thing, he's going to enter an area where it won't be easy to return. We tried to stop him, but he was way too far ahead! He instantly flung to an isolated island of scrap metal, decked with warning signs of NomNoms.

What? Can't a girl like me love such a cute thing?

Gary took out his charger and looked for any Octarians within sight. He looked alot more madder than usual, even more madder than Lyra when Agent 1 dropped Roy into that one kettle...

"I know you're hiding out there, show yourself!" he shouted. Just as he did, a figure dropped from above. It was Roy, and he had a different helmet. This one had speakers and a disc spinning in the center. If I had to guess, I'd say he was being brainwashed.

"Tch! I guess they got a hold of you, too. Don't worry, I'll make this quick and painless..." he growled.

...Wait a second... Did he say 'quick and **PAINLESS** '!?

"Gary, NO!" Lyra shouted as she sprang after him through the Launch Pad. As she landed, she got a grip of his Splat Charger.

"Lyra, what are you doing!?" he scolded at her, "Can't you see that it's too late to save him? He needs to be put to rest."  
"Gary, that's Roy you're trying to shoot! Are you stupid!?"  
"...If I can have a moment here...?" Agent 2 came in, dropping down from the Launch Pad. Wow, I didn't even see her fly in!  
"Roy is already under their control. There's no way we'll ever bring him back! He's part of them, now!"

Omigosh, this is all so FREAKIN' TENSE! WHERE'S THE POPCORN WHEN I NEED IT!?

"Gary! Let go, NOW!" Lyra screamed as she kept tugging on his Charger.  
"No, YOU let go!" Gary finally lost it. He shoved Lyra down to the ground, took his Charger and scoped Roy straight in the gut!

"No... Gary, why?"

That shot sent Roy flying a distance and down to his back! But for some weird reason, Roy got back up like that shot was nothing! Whether or not immune to ink, that shot came in at like 500 mph! Shouldn't he at least feel bruised!?

" _Ouch, well I was hoping we could talk for a bit..._ " a voice whirred from his weird helmet.  
"Roy...? Is that you?" Lyra finally spoke. She was tearing up with joy that Roy was alive, and she tried running up to him. Gary pulled her away from him, however.

"Don't be fooled by that voice!" he scolded at her, "That's not Roy that's talking, that's someone else."  
"Wow, how much of a moron could you Inklings be?" A voice suddenly popped up.

Another figure dropped down below, and it was that Octoling girl! She grabbed out her Octoshot, ready to fire at any moment! Of course, Roy held his hands in front of her.

" _Stay back a little bit,_ " the voice said, " _I want to talk first._ " Reluctantly, the girl stepped away.

Roy then started walking towards Gary. With tons of ink splattered all over his shirt, he was still moving, unfazed! Roy didn't show any signs of fear as he walked. In fact, he had that grin! It's that one grin I see heroes pull off in movies all the time! It's as if he's already planned this whole thing!

" _This is going to sound crazy, everyone,_ " the voice whirred, " _But you should just give up on this mission and go home._ "  
Lyra suddenly froze in shock. "...What are you saying?"  
" _Look, if you take away the Great Zapfish, Inkopolis will-_ "

He was interrupted by another one of Gary's Charger shots. Lyra and Agent 2 both shot glares at him, but he didn't bother to look them in the eye.

"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what I can't do!"

Despite how painful it probably was, Roy only got back up and continued forward.

" _As I was saying, Inkopolis will-_ " and BLAM! Interrupted by another shot!

"Gary, would you stop that!? He's trying to say something!"  
"That's not him speaking! If that truly was him, do you think he'd tell you to give up!?"

Lyra was quickly looking for a way to back herself up, but she couldn't think of anything. She sank in despair, knowing that Gary had a point...

But I still believe in Roy. He's a crazy time-traveling human, and he can overcome whatever madness is going on through his head! I just know it!

Reluctantly, Lyra drew out her Splattershot. She slowly took aim at Roy. Holy crabs, this was going down way fast!

"I'm sorry, Roy," I heard her mutter, "Please understand that this is for your own good."  
" _Lyra, please li-_ "  
"Forget it, Roy. These brats won't listen to us," the Octarian interrupted as she pulled him back, "Now it's time to release the Octomaw!"

The two of them stood back as the Octarian pulled out a remote and pressed a button. All of a sudden, the ink surrounding the metallic island was rumbling! Ripples were forming from the pools, and out emerged that cute NomNoms that the warnings depicted. Aw, he's so adorable~!

" _If you won't let me talk, then at least heed this: don't take back the Great Zapfish._ "  
"That's enough, they won't get their thick heads through. We'll have to see through this issue ourselves. Octomaw, eliminate the intruders!"

And with that, NomNoms opened its mouth wide, revealing a set of sharp teeth! OMIGOSH! That... That... THING...!

...

...

...

BECAME EVEN MORE ADORABLE! I LOVE LITTLE NOMNOMS SOOOO MUCH~!

Roy and the Octoling were nowhere to be found once NomNoms sprouted from the surface. NomNoms took a good look at Lyra, Gary, and Agent 2, both giving each other uneasy looks. As soon as a single muscle twitched, NomNoms instantly sprang for them! Despite being a fishy robot, he was able to pierce through the metallic island and wrap his jaws around the trio! They were about to become lunch!

"Quick! Shoot the teeth!" Agent 2 commanded. The two did just as commanded and broke enough teeth to create an opening to pass through. NomNoms rose up, clamping its teeth and looking back down at the three.

"Everyone, get back!" Gary yelled at the two, "I've got this!"  
"Gary, stop being reckless!" Agent 2 yelled back, "We're a team! You can't do this alon-"  
"Shut up, will you!? **You've been doing nothing but holding me back!** "

...

...

...

Everyone fell dead silent, including me... In fact, I felt heartbroken! I flung through the Launch Pad and landed right behind him.

"So what does that make me!?" I yelled at him, "If I truly WAS holding you back, then maybe I shouldn't even be on this team!"  
Gary was shocked, "Look, you wer-"  
"Holding you back the entire time, yeah I know! I'm too clumsy, I always overwork others, I'm scared of the dark, and I'm 'SELFISH'! Maybe things would've worked out better for everyone if we never met at Camp Triggerfish!"

I walked over to a remote corner of the island. Surely if I drown here, I'll respawn back to an area where I can return back up to the valley. However, Gary ran up and stopped me.

"What do you think you're doing!?" he screamed at me in complete panic.  
"I'm going home, why do you care?" I scoffed.  
"Because you're my friend!"  
"Oh? And I thought I was holding you back!"  
"Yeah! Holding me back from protecting you!"  
"WE'VE GOT A GIANT ROBOTIC SQUID EATER SPROUTING GIANT GOLDEN TEETH, BUT YOU TWO TAKE YOUR TIME!"

Gary sighed. "Look, back in that cage, I've felt pain. It was a feeling that I've never felt before and I wouldn't want anybody else to feel it. If my sick family underwent that pain for the rest of their lives, I don't think I could even forgive myself for letting that happen."  
"And what about you?" I asked him, "Don't you think you need protection as well? Stop acting like this is all a big burden you need to carry yourself! Let us help you!"

Gary looked back at Lyra and Agent 2, neither of them hurt from NomNoms. It's a shame that we have to take down such a cute creature...

"Look, we appreciate your concern and support, but let us help you once in a while!" I told him, "We're a team, aren't we?"

He looked at me for a bit. "Yeah, sorry for being a bit of a jerk back there," he said, ashamed of what he did.  
"Yeah, you WERE a jerk!"

"Great thing you two managed to patch up your issues, NOW IF YOU MIND HELPING US WITH THIS MONSTER, WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT!"

NomNoms grew a pack of chainsaws and sharp blades all over his jaw! OK, that's totally NOT cute and I won't be sad if I have to put THAT down!

"Gary, you get me an opening and I'll handle the rest!" He nodded back. I rushed down to NomNoms, grabbing out a suction bomb. As I leapt into the air, the blades that would've cut me were knocked away by Gary's shots. An opening was soon revealed and I chucked my bomb down its throat! At that exact moment, the robot exploded into several different parts! The only thing that remained were the Zapfish and those papers that Roy's been collecting before he became brainwashed.

"Well, now that that's been settled, how about we all head back to Inkopolis? They've got Tako Tuesdays going on right now!" Lyra suggested.  
"As much as I'd love to join the fun, I can't. I still got work to do," Agent 2 declined.  
"Well then, you guys in?" she asked the two of us.

I smiled. We were a team again! ...Again!

"Race you to the top!" I yelled as I ran for the ink pool.  
"Linny? The exit's that way! Lin- LINNY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? YOU'RE GOING TO DROWN YOURSELF!"  
"Sorry, but I'm not walking all the way back up to the surface! I'm taking the respawn taxi!"  
"LINNY, DON'T YOU DARE...!"

And with that, I dove into the pool.

"See ya in Inkopolis, guys!"


	27. Lyra - Why Not?

_Dear Diary..._

 _It's been a long while since I've last written here. With all the power suddenly disappearing, I couldn't be able to find my things in the dark. Thankfully, power is slowly returning and they've recently managed to get the power back up and running in our homes! Not only that, but Agent 1 says that she's also got a lead as to where Cuttlefish may be! She says that he's somewhere in space... While that sounds far-fetched at first, we DID run into UFO's that tried killing us before. So in a certain space station, Cuttlefish is being held captive by Octavio... Whoever that guy is..._

 _So we'll have to prepare for tomorrow to figure out how to get into that space station. Agent 2 said something about freeing the captive Squid Researchers, so she won't be with us for a while. I wonder how she's doing now? Anyways, I thought it'd be a good idea to unwind after such a hard day! Linny and Gary all went with me to get some takoyaki! I'm not sure why, but there's something weird about Tako Tuesdays... Well, whatever. The three of us settled down at the arcade and played some games to blow off some steam. We then did a couple of other things, like chat and stuff, but... but..._

My hands froze. I shouldn't be writing down all the cool stuff that happened today. Something was bothering me.

 _...No. Today wasn't exactly a happy day. In fact, Roy is now siding with the Octarians and he's going to help them plunge Inkopolis into chaos! I don't know what I should do if I have to fight him! He and I were like friends! The first day I met him, I thought he liked me... I guess he doesn't now... Why are you being like this, Roy? Why? There's just no way I could possibly live if I am forced to put down a special friend! Not only is he human, he's also been at my side on several occasions!_

The more I think about it, the more I feel as if his decision to side with the Octarians wasn't his choice. I remember how Gary said that 'that wasn't his voice talking'.

 _No, there's something wrong with Roy, and I know it. That helmet he had on during our encounter looked strange. I'm starting to have a full suspicion that Roy is struggling against Octarian control! Poor Roy! I will not stand for those Octarians to be taking control over his thoughts! These creatures are even more monstrous than I thought! They aren't going to stop at taking over Inkopolis; they're going to control everyone as well! I must..._

"Lyra, you up here?" Gary came up into my room.  
"A little privacy, please?" I asked.  
"Sorry, but I just came upstairs to tell you that Linny just got the movie and popcorn ready! We'll be doing a full marathon of 'The Kid' tonight!"

I got up from my chair and looked out my window. The thought of Roy being tormented in his mind was already a bad enough thought for me. And for me to be standing around doing nothing is just making me feel worse...

"Look, I'm sorry if what I said back there was mean," Gary told me, "I wasn't thinking straight when I said that Roy was one of them."

I turned back at him, "I know that, but he's still under their control! It just doesn't feel right for me to be chilling at home while he's suffering from who-knows-what."

Gary placed his hand on my shoulder, "I know Roy's probably your biggest concern right now, but if you keep worrying about him, you'll only end up running blindly... Like me back then. A good Inkling keeps their minds open and clear during Turf Wars, and you know that."

I turn back to the window and gaze at the sky. I just can't stop thinking about the issue!

"Look, if you're gonna keep thinking about Roy, then think about how you'll save him and how happy he'll be to see you again," Gary suggested, "Anyways, the movie's starting! We'll be downstairs!"

He ran back downstairs to watch the movie with Linny. Gary's right, I need to have a clear mind if I'm going to save Roy.

 _Thinking about Roy just gets me thinking a lot. He's a human from the past, right? Cuttlefish told me several things about humans: how they grew food, how they made buildings, how they could even swim in water! Man, I wish I could be a human! I'd like to be able to swim in water, but it's stupid that it stings... Cuttlefish also told me that they had similar tastes in fashion and music! I think Roy should get a chance to listen to the Squid Sisters. Once I save him, the first thing I'm gonna do is take him to one of their concerts!_

I look back at the window. The skies were as dark as ever, but the familiar city lights were returning and shining vibrantly as usual. I feel a bit of hope resurfacing back to me. In fact, I could see Roy standing out there, smiling at me!

 _But I don't think now's a good time to be dreaming about these kinds of things. For now, I must put aside everything and focus on-_

I suddenly froze again. Something wasn't right.

I went up to the window once again. Who was that looking at me just now? It wasn't a thief, was it? It can't be an Octarian, because a lot of us are still awake at this hour. Who was it...?

Suddenly, an arm extended and caught hold of my hoodie! I was pulled right outside, falling from my bedroom! For some odd reason, I was falling slowly. I looked and saw who kidnapped me: it was Roy! As his boots gently gushed down to the ground, he then lets go of me.

" _Lyra! I am so glad to-_ "

I quickly pushed him aside. He was under the control of those Octarians, and now was the perfect time to unchain him from their control. I quickly pulled out my Splattershot and took aim.

"Don't worry," I told him, "That helmet's coming off and we'll be just fine!"  
" _Wait, don't shoot!_ " he pleaded, " _It's me, Roy!_ "  
"And why should I believe you?" I asked him, "How do I know you're not just an Octarian hiding behind my friend?"

" _I am your friend! See?_ " he quickly took off the helmet and gave out a quick 'Tsuyah!'. I lowered my gun, realizing that familiar cry.

"Roy... What happened to you?" I asked, wondering the dreadful events that might have taken place between him and those Octarians.

He quickly put back on the helmet, " _Well, I need to ask you something first; why do you need the Great Zapfish? You've gotten those little Zapfish powering up a huge part of Inkopolis already, right?_ "

It's true that the city's been doing well without the Great Zapfish, but that's still no excuse for those Octarians to take it away from us!

"Wait, are you telling me that you're on their side now!?" I asked in disbelief.  
" _OK, what is it with you creatures thinking I'm siding with ANYONE!? Look, there's something else I need to discuss with you because you're the only Inkling I know who trusts me the most._ "

I don't understand him at all. Why would he not want me to take back the Great Zapfish?

Roy looked up to the skies, presumably where the space station is. " _Well, have you ever considered the Octarian's history?_ "

I frowned at him, "Don't guilt trip me, Roy. Those Octarians splatted us over and over with water! WATER! Don't you know how much that hurts?"

" _Heh, I keep forgetting how hard it is to forgive..._ " he turns back towards me, " _If I can't convince you to stay away from that space station, then at least ignore the Great Zapfish and rescue the captain._ "

I was puzzled at first, but decided to hear him out.

" _Let me just get to the point. The REAL reason I can't have you take back the Great Zapfish is that it'll put everyone in danger. Octavio thinks he can create a sanctuary in space using that Zapfish as his power source. What he overlooked was what would happen to it if that source was gone. If that thing gets removed, not only will the station collapse, but it'll fall onto Inkopolis, possibly destroying everything and causing another Great War to break out._ "

I shuddered at that thought. If anything, I know that wars never end up clean. If another war were to break out, my life would certainly change...

" _Anyways, I won't stop you. I don't know about you, but I can't breath in space. If you're going up there, just make sure to only rescue the captain._ "

That's a horrible thought. If we want to fully restore our power, we'll have to do it at the cost of everyone's lives! I just can't make that decision. No wonder Roy's been sticking with those Octarians; he wants to protect me and everyone else!

"We've gotta tell this to Linny and Gary! Come inside, we've got popcorn and everything!"  
" _I'm afraid I can't,_ " he shook his head sadly, " _They're just gonna think I'm still with them and they'll definitely go crazy on me. Besides, I think I'll take a nice midnight stroll with this new helmet on._ "

He gently pats his helmet, happily buzzing and whirring about his thoughts into words. I was real happy that I finally got to hear his thoughts. He then bids me farewell and walks towards the city. I would've stepped back inside and join Linny and Gary with their movie, but Roy's back! I'm not going to miss out on this! I quickly catch up to him and walk right next to him.

" _Joining me on the walk?_ " he asks me.  
"Hey, somebody's gotta cover your identity, right?" I tell him. He smiles back.

The two of us walk down the park leading to Inkopolis, but I felt a little bit unsure about his decision to take a walk at this hour...

"Wait, aren't you usually supposed to be asleep at this hour? Aren't you worried about getting tired?"  
" _There's nothing left for me to do, so what the heck? Show me what I've missed in this awesome town. Lead the way!_ "  
"Well, have you ever heard of the Squid Sisters?"  
" _You're talking about those pink and green squids, right? You've already showed them to me three times! What's special about them?_ "  
"They're the most awesome pop stars and they've got a gig going on some time next week! I should take you, Gary, Linny, and Agents 1 and 2!"  
" _Agents 1 and 2?_ "  
"Yeah! They're the ones with the beanie and the mask!"

Suddenly, Roy started bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny?"  
" _I'm sorry, it's just... ha...! Oh, if only you knew..._ "  
"Knew about what?"  
" _If only you knew..._ "  
"Come on, tell me!"


	28. Octricia - Out of Line

Dark. Cold. Comprised mostly of metal. That's basically how I would describe this space station. It was nowhere near as colorful as Octavio said it would be, but I assume that's because he's still getting it set up. I was walking down a walkway, discussing the plan with the other members of the Octo Elite Splatoon.

"We just have to make sure those Inklings don't go anywhere near the Great Zapfish. Use any means necessary."  
"Are you sure? Ve got a report from Roy saying ve shouldn't vorry about it, he called zem off."  
"He told me they'd still come here, but only for the captain. If they're here to recover that old coot, that's fine by me."  
"Ja, but vone ozher zhing..."

Two of our Octobomber troops were floating around with their propeller caps in glee, blissfully screaming whatever idiotic slangs they could think of.

"Did ve really have to bring ZHEM along!?"  
"SPAAAAAACE!"  
"YEYAH!"  
"We'll need every help we can get," I assured Ochtung, "...Even if it means help from those two."

Several yards away from us was a platform. Just as I assumed, three Inklings were on that platform. I'm quite surprised as to how they even managed to get here, but that's besides the point. I tried listening in to their conversation. You'd be surprised how far a careless voice can travel in this station.

"Not a single sound," I whispered real quietly to the Splatoon, "If they notice us, we may as well be dead."

"Get back, agents!" I heard an old voice yell, "It's a trap!"

The old coot was tied up, and not too far from him was the Zapfish.

"You don't understand Cap'n! We're here to rescue you!"  
"...And get the Great Zapfish back!"  
"Uh... yeah. About that, do you think maybe...?"  
"Maybe what?"  
"Let's just focus on getting the Cap'n back! I think a life is more important than power."

Thank you Roy, for at least knocking some sense into one of those idiots.

"No! Yer better off leaving me here! Don't come any closer than where you are now!"  
"Alright gang, let's split up! Lyra and Gary, you get the Cap'n, and I'll find the Great Zapfish!"  
"I'm not so sure about this... It feels too quiet. We may not be alone here..."

My skin started crawling, but I have to keep quiet. I've made sure to stick to the original plan: keep them away from the Great Zapfish.

"...So you noticed..." a dark ominous voice rang out from below.

That voice. There's no mistaking that voice. It was Octavio's.

From below, a giant machine containing a bunch of flashy (yet unnecessary) accessories arose from the depths. As the machine arose, the lights came on, lighting up every space with colors of different shades. Lasers started blaring from the tentacle-like speakers while an ominous rhythm kept beating the atmosphere. The place just kept getting flashy until it was just as colorful. The three Inklings pulled out their weapons, ready to take on Octavio with whatever they've got. At the same time, Octavio's machine brought out Octorpedoes and a Killer Wail cannon. This was going to be one hell of a fight. In fact, I may as well watch this fight out.

"YEYAH! PARTAY!"  
"WOOP! WOOP! WOOP! WOOP!"  
"GO OCTAVIO!"  
"GO INK FREAKS!"  
"BILL, WHY'S YA GOTTA ROOT FOR DEM!?"  
"DO YOU SHVINES KNOW VHAT 'QUIET' MEANS!?"

Just great. Both Bob, Bill, and Ochtung blew our covers. We were spotted by the three. Thankfully, we were too far away to be splatted, but we'll have to fight back if they plan on taking us down.

"Oh great, it's _those_ guys..."  
"Keep your eyes on them! If any of them get close, don't give them mercy!"

And so the fight between the three against Octavio began. The three kept shooting down Octorpedoes as fast as Octavio could fire them. This was going nowhere fast, and Octavio decided to end it quickly. He pulled out his Killer Wail and revved it up.

"Enough games! I'll end y'all quickly!" he yelled, rapidly spinning his turntables with his wasabi sticks.

This Killer Wail in particular was actually alot bigger than a regular one. With this, he can easily wipe out those three in one clean shot!

"Darn! We're cornered again!"  
"Guys! Let's do that move!"  
"Wait, _that_ move? But we've never practiced!"  
"It's our only choice!"

The machine was fully charged up. They either do whatever "move" they were talking about, or get splatted here. Quickly, the Charger aimed at Octavio, while the roller stood nearby, sticking her hands out.

"Hah! Do you realize you're too far to hit me with that!?"

The Splattershot then ran towards the Roller, jumped onto her hands, and with a hoist she was then flung a fair distance above the Charger. Once she was in the line of fire, the Charger shot her feet, flinging her at an insanely large distance. She managed to jump into Octavio and get in several shots into his face. Ouch. She's managed to tilt the machine, leaving the Killer Wail to blare a hole in the station far from the other two. She then jumped off the machine, landing safely onto another platform.

Octavio quickly wiped off the paint from his furious face. For some reason, I was afraid.

"Do you impudent slimes know what you're doing!?" he screams at the three, "Our race was a suffering race, constantly having our kind hunted by the likes of you... We never deserved any bloodshed you so wanted."

His machine suddenly started heading towards the Zapfish. My worst fear has been confirmed.

"Sir! Don't-"

But it was too late. Octavio's machine absorbed the Zapfish. That Zapfish. The only thing KEEPING THIS DAMN STATION FLOATING IS NOW BEING INVESTED INTO A POINTLESS GRUDGE!

The machine shook violently. The lights shined brighter, more colors and sounds blaring everywhere, beats becoming more louder and intense. The machine then pulled out two giant metallic fists, bigger than even his Killer Wail cannon.

"This station's supposed to be sanctuary, but I must get rid of you hipsters before this place falls apart! IMMA DUBSTOMP Y'ALL INTO OBLIVION!"

You idiot! You took away the only thing keeping this entire station from falling apart! Quickly, I spotted a nearby launchpad and took after him. Immediately, I tried shooting him, but my shots flung off like nothing! There was some sort of force preventing me from getting to him! Quickly, he noticed me as I landed near the Inkling with the Splattershot.

"Octricia! What do you think you're doing!?" he yelled at me, both angry and confused at my sudden treason.  
"Octavio, I demand that you put that Zapfish back immediately! Removing the Zapfish will cause this station to collapse!"  
"This situation has nothing to do with you! Get back to Kettle #7!"  
"This situation has EVERYHING to do with me! If this station falls down to Earth, there won't be a Kettle #7! There won't even be a sanctuary for anyone! Everyone will DIE!"

Octavio closes his eyes for a moment. I could hear his silent growling. Then, without second thought, he launched one of his giant iron fists at me.

"You're stepping out of line! You need to know what I'm doing for you!"

Suddenly, the Roller stepped right in front of me and flung at the fist, throwing it right back at him! The fist then smashed the barrier previously blocking him and exploded straight in his face. I was surprised, why would this Roller girl help me?

"Why'd you do that?" I asked her, "Don't you have any idea who or what I am?"  
"I want that Zapfish back badly," she said, "I miss my nightlights. But if what you say is true, then I'd rather have no nightlight than no bed!"  
"When you think about it..." the Charger added, "This situation is a whole lot more dire than what I first thought. A space station crashing into Inkopolis would have dire consequences..."

Those two finally got it through their heads. That makes my job a whole lot easier.

"Octo-Elites! Fall in!" I shout. Immediately, the team followed me through the launchpad.

"Oooh, dis gonna be what I think dis is?" Bill asked with a stupid grin in his face.  
"It is, and it will be. We're working together with this 'Squidbeak Splatoon' to get back that Zapfish and plug it back in before the station starts its collision course. It will be the end of everything if we fail, so do NOT screw this up!"

With a hearty yell, the rest of the team darts off towards Octavio, giving off every effort to force the Zapfish out of the machine. The trio of Inklings nod to each other as they hurry along with the others. However, the Shooter just stops right in front of me.

"Uh... You're friends with Roy, right?" she asks. Is this idiot seriously having an idle conversation with me at a time like this? This is the most idiotic thing she's ever done... And yet, I feel like I owe her something. I reach my hand out and grab hers.

"Hey kid, sorry about yesterday. I was just..."  
"It's fine. I know what you've been through."

Whether she did or not, I still forced a smile at her. She smiles back. Immediately afterwards, we both turn towards Octavio, who was taking several shots of ink from different directions. Despite their efforts, the machine remained unfazed. That Zapfish wasn't going anywhere unless we do something.

"Alright, chit-chat's over. Let's go get that Zapfish back!"  
"R-right!"

Suddenly, the entire station fell dark. The lights stopped, the music stopped, everything was dead silent. The only thing lighting up the station were the lights coming from Octavio's machine, but they weren't bright enough to light up the entire place. My heart sank. Were we too late?

"What's this? Where's my beats!? WHERE'S MY BEATS!?"  
"Cal.. I .g yo. th.t .he re. go here!" a static-y voice yells.  
"Well excuu.. me, .s! Th.s 't come wi.h a manual!" another voice yells.

The lights blared back on, but this time they only shined pink and green. A rather upbeat, uplifting song plays in the background. It gets louder and louder by the second. I notice the Shooter girl next to me. She had this stupid-looking grin on her face, and it was getting wider with every passing second.

"OH. MY. GOSH. IS THIS...?"  
"Why, I recognize that heavenly melody!"

I turned to the old coot, who was suddenly making an effort to breaking free. To my surprise, he actually did!

"There's no mistaking it! It's my grandsquids! The Squid Sisters!"  
"OMIGOSH IT REALLY IS THEM! IT REALLY- Wait. YOU'RE THEIR GRANDFATHER!?"

"Hey agents! Can you hear our song?" the voice speaks, now clearer than ever.  
"Radio override activated!" another voice speaks.

Furious at these turn of events, Octavio pulls out one last weapon. Spinning his records frantically and angrily, energy was coursing wildly through his machine.

"This... Is the end... FOR ALL OF YOU!"

He launches a gigantic missile, which had a pair of sunglasses for some strange reason. I was not sure what to be shocked at: the sunglasses, or the size. Perhaps the size, THEY WERE EVEN BIGGER THAN THE FISTS.

"Ah! I know zhe veakness!" Ochtung spoke out as it flew towards us, "I've developed zhis veapon not too long ago! I've put a counter mechanism just in case it gets used against us!"  
"Wonderful doc," Bill says sarcastically, "NOW TELL US HOW TO STOP DIS FREAKIN THING!"  
"JUST SHOOT AT IT, YOU SHVINE!"

At his command, everyone flung their ink towards reflecting the missile. The missile immediately flew back to Octavio, but Octavio was prepared. His metal hands stuck out, ready to push back the missile. With one massive push, he sent the missile back at us!

"AGAIN! AGAIN! SHOOT IT!"

We all took our shots at it again. The missile was now flying at an incredibly fast pace. Octavio reflected the missile again, but this time his metallic hands broke! He starts panicking, with no way out if we reflect that missile one last time...

"LAST TIME!"

With everyone's combined efforts, the missile struck Octavio's machine. The machine took heavy damage as the missile exploded.

"N-no... You can't... take.. our..."

The machine then collapsed. Thankfully, it didn't plunge into the bottomless abyss below, as that would be a disaster. Instead, it landed on a gigantic platform.

"Wow... dat was..."  
"Did we just..."  
"I can't believe what I... We..."  
"Zhis is..."

* * *

 **VICTORY!**

* * *

"YAS! WE DONE DID IT, BOB! WE DONE DID IT!"  
"I NEVER DOUBTED OUR PARTNERSHIP, BILL!"  
"Gary, you were amazing back there!"  
"W-what!? No! I was just... Making sure you weren't hurt. Really, you were the one who was amazing."

Everyone was rejoicing at their victory against Octavio's rampage. I felt a little warm inside. Is this what it felt like to have friends...? It's a feeling I've long forgotten, or maybe never had at all... Regardless, it just felt warm.

"Alright, simmer down," I told everyone, "Let's go get that Zapfish before-"

Suddenly, the lights turned out again. A massive quake broke out in the entire station.

"No...! Zhis can't be...!"

But it was. The station started its collision course. The fall of Inklings and Octarians has just begun.


	29. Roy - Last Stand

At first I thought it was just a solar eclipse. I've never experienced dark skies during the day. I wish that was the case, but that's no moon; that's a space station, and it was heading towards Inkopolis. Someone unplugged the Great Zapfish, and now everyone will die.

 _"WHAT THE KRAKEN IS THAT!?"_  
 _"Whoa! That's... What is that even?"_  
 _"I don't know, but it's getting closer!"_

Several voices of panicking Inklings came about here and there, scrambling all over my head. Even with this helmet on, it's still difficult to tell who said what. At least, when in a crowd like this one. Everyone scrambled about from place to place as the station kept getting closer and closer. It's still pretty far away, but at the rate it's going, I doubt I have a lot of time.

There were only two squids who would probably know how to handle the situation. Quickly, I made haste to the studio.

 _"Forget it, kid,"_ Marie muttered, _"Last time we tried calming a crowd, it took a miracle."_  
"Then MAKE a miracle!" I told her, a little worried about her less-than-eager attitude.  
 _"Sorry Roy, but she's right,"_ Aori addded, _"The only reason that crowd calmed down last time was because we turned back on the power. We HAD something to calm them down, but I don't even know how we'll calm them down with... THAT."_

The three of us looked out the window, staring at the now-slightly-bigger-than-before station.

"As long as there's a way, I'll take it! Just tell me!"  
 _"I do believe there is one way..."_ an unfamiliar spoke out.

The three of us turned around and saw three figures: that ugly bucket, and two scientists, one of them being strangely way taller than the other.

 _"When we were captured by the Octarians, we were forced to build a powerful cannon capable of destroying even the most toughest material in existence. We had no idea why they would want such a weapon, but thanks to a mysterious green Inkling who saved us, we can make use of this weapon for good!"_

 _"I'd rather not say..."_ the bucket Inkling uttered, _"...But I hope you make use of my father's weapon and save Inkopolis... you filthy cheater."_

I was about to protest about my "cheating" when all of a sudden, a tremor occurred. The station was zooming on in closer and closer.

 _"This weapon requires a tremendous amount of ink. I doubt that even the entire population of Inkopolis can fill it up in time!"_

"Then that settles it," I then spoke, "You two get the cannon ready. I'm going to get more support."  
 _"Hold on,"_ Aori stopped me, _"You're not suggesting..."_  
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. I'm heading to the valley."

I made my way through the sewers and into the valley. The valley was entirely filled with completely horrified Octarians as they gazed at the incoming space station, now closer than it was before. I felt terrible, suffering from a mass genocide and forced in collapsing domes was already a terrible disaster for them. This catastrophe must be stopped.

 _"Ahoy, lad! Over here!"_

I quickly turned around and saw Cuttlefish, along with Lyra, Linny, Gary, and the Octo-Elite with Octavio.

"What happened?" I asked the group.

 _"Mind telling him what happened?"_ Lyra asked Octavio.  
 _"Go on, why don't you enlighten him, BOSS?"_ Octricia glared at him. Pretty much everyone gave Octavio a glance of some sort.

 _"You know I had good reason to use that Great Zapfish,"_ he uttered, _"Our race suffered from a mass genocide, and reliving those moments was something I cannot put up with. I wanted to prevent such a thing from happening again."_

 _"By putting EVERYONE in danger!?"_ Linny screamed.  
 _"Don't think da boss figured dis one through..."_ Bob muttered.

 _"Go on and call me a fool,"_ he went on, _"But what then? If these Inklings took over this valley, where would you have been?"_  
 _"Hmmph! I guess you've lived under a rock longer than I thought..."_ Octricia sneered.  
 _"HA! I get it! We've taken refugee underground for years!"_ Bill laughed.  
 _"Shut it."_  
 _"Sorry..."_

She then walked over to me and turned back toward the group, _"As I was saying, centuries have passed where a new generation of Inklings have emerged. How do we know for sure that this generation is as bloodthirsty as the last? As part of the Octo-Elite Splatoon code, we are open to anyone in need, no matter the appearance. I've made the mistake of assuming these Inklings to be the same as the last. I now know that I am wrong, and we must seek help from them more than ever."_

Slowly, the rest of the group joins her. Then Lyra's crew joins them. Now as a group, we face Octavio, who was standing next to Cuttlefish.

 _"Look, I'm sorry about all the losses you have,"_ Lyra spoke out, _"There were tons of misunderstandings, but now's not the time to stay in the past. We need everyone. We need you."_

Octavio only turned his head and scoffed, _"Might as well give up and just die. It's all hopeless."_

All the Octarians in the area drooped in despair upon hearing that. It was bad enough that they were faced with certain death, but when their faithful leader has no faith at all, it really angers me. I was entirely furious, but I managed to restrain myself from gushing right at him.

"Then I... We are all going to prove you wrong." I said as I went down the sewers.  
 _"Troops, fall out!"_ Octricia yelled, _"This is our only chance for a better life. We cannot afford to fail this one! This is no longer just for the Octarian race, but for life! YOUR life!"_

A trail of possible a million Octarians followed me down to the sewers and back into Inkopolis. I could see that Callie and Marie have prepared the cannon, whirring in the middle of the plaza. A huge tank was attached to the side, with a red line drawn at the rim. If we were going to stop that station from collapsing onto Inkopolis, we'll need to bypass that line before it's too late.

A giant monitor quickly flashed on from the top of the studio. There stood Cuttlefish, a little camera-shy, but still determined to get his words out.

 _"Now all of ya might not know who I am,"_ he spoke, somewhat shaky, _"But I speak for every living thing in this world when I say 'Power up the cannon'!"_

The crowd began to murmur, not knowing just who this old Inkling was.

 _"Who IS that guy?"_  
 _"What tacky clothing!"_  
 _"...Are those jeans?"_

 _"Lads, lasses, Inklings of questionable sexuality..."_

 _"OH MY COD, HE KNOWS!"_

 _"...Our life strongly depends on your ability to work together! We need to reach the minimum capacity to power the cannon! If we can't reach that in time, Inkopolis will fall to ruins!"_

 _"IT IS MAJORA! I FREAKING CALLED IT!"_  
 _"BOO! THIS OLD MAN AIN'T HELPING US!_  
 _"GET A HAIRCUT, HIPPIE!"_

The crowd's hurtful jeers were rather unsettling to listen to. Cuttlefish slowly turned his head back...

...But then a small grin crept across his face.

 _"Figured ya might say that. Turn your attention to the top of Inkopolis Tower!"_

As everyone did, I did as well. We were all very shocked at what we saw.

 ** _"C'mon everyone!"_** Aori screamed at the top of the tower, **_"Let's get that thing inked up!"_**  
 _ **"You know what to do!"**_ Marie followed as well.

The two began breaking into song as music then blared throughout the entire plaza. Suddenly, Inklings went from hopeless to determined as groups started pulling out their weapons and aiming them at the machine tank. Slowly, the tank began filling up. The rate was too slow however, and not everybody was convinced that there was still hope.

 _ **"Oy! Don't think we'd let you sisters have all the fun!"**_ a voice called out.

On top of the shops were three tall Inklings. They had some pretty intense piercings, but showing off their accessories wasn't their intentions for getting on top of the shops. Immediately, one of them pulled out an electric keyboard and started mashing away at the keys. I couldn't believe my eyes as I saw how fluidly his fingers moved from one key to the next.

Immediately, another group got up from their depressed bums.

 _"Those sounds of a piano! There's no mistaking it! THIS IS HIGHTIDE ERA!"_

Sounds of electronic pop suddenly shifted into crazy electronic piano rags of all sorts. The crowd chanted as more and more joined in on the fray.

 _"HIGHTIDE! HIGHTIDE! HIGHTIDE!"_ they all chanted.

There was something very excitable about watching all these people giving others hope. Something I can't quite put my finger on, but it made me want to do something as well. In an instant, I remembered that a group of Octarians followed me. I turned around and saw them staring back at me.

"Well, what are you waiting for!?" I yelled, "This party could use more guests!"

The Octarians then joined the Inklings into filling the tank. I was a little scared about how the Inklings would react, but it actually turned out quite nice!

 _"Whoa! Dig those goggles you got there! Where'd you get those?"_  
 _"I see you're a fellow sniper, eh? Wanna duel after all this is done?"_  
 _"You can FLY!? Lucky!"_

The tank was filling up at a much faster rate. The station was approaching Inkopolis faster and faster, but the efforts of the Squid Sisters, Hightide Era, Inklings and Octarians alike were going to put an end to it.

 ** _"Wow, a party? Count me in, too!"_** another voice rang out. This one seemed to be coming from the top of the studio.

A rather short, but cute jellyfish girl was standing in front of a couple other creatures I couldn't make out, but she pulled out her microphone and began singing. One of them had a machine to modulate her voice to make it sound all robotic-like.

 _"No... No way! NO FREAKING WAY! CHIRPY CHIRPS!"_

The piano then slowly dies as video-game-ish music filled the plaza. More Inklings joined in on this party of doom.

Octavio was wrong, there was still hope left in this world, and we were going to see it through to the end.

Another tremor occurred. This one knocked everyone off their feet, and the Squid Sisters lost their balance! They fell from the tower, but a strangely giant metallic hand grabbed the both of them in time before they hit the ground.

 _ **"Whoa! Note to self: NEVER perform on high places again!"**_ Aori muttered aloud.

Everyone took a look at who that giant hand belonged to. I would've been surprised, but I wasn't for some weird reason.

 _ **"Faithful minions of the Octarian race!"**_ Octavio yelled out, **_"THIS JAM'S GOIN' OUT TO EVERYONE TONIGHT!"_**

He pulled out several sticks and began spinning on his records. The plaza was filled with heavy beats, each Octarian was suddenly compelled to try harder than before. Immediately, the rate changed into a much faster pace. We were only halfway there, but the station was still coming close. Immediately, another tremor broke out. The tremor was strong enough to create a small crack in the tank! Ink was slowly leaking! Inklings and Octarians everywhere were panicking at this sudden turn. I try to get everyone's attention.

...Or so I would have if MY HELMET DIDN'T CRACK AS WELL!

Music stopped playing in the background and everyone returned to spouting the same, familiar gibberish I was stuck listening to for the past week. There needed to be something I could shout, but what?

"EVERYONE!" I shouted. Immediately, all eyes turned onto me. Well, great. Now Step #2's to get them to continue.

"HOOMY!" But nobody replied.  
"HOOMY!" But nobody continued.  
"HOOMY!" But nobody did anything. They just stared at me, faces of despair as the leak continued to undo all their hard work.

Was this truly the end? No... There had to be something I could say. There had to be.

I was truly at a loss. All I could do was just fall onto the ground, and hope that this was all a bad dream. Of course, this wasn't. We're all going to die.

Lyra immediately walked up to me. She gave me a concerned look, everyone wore the same concerned expression on their faces.

Looking at Lyra, I remembered the time I spent with her as a friend. We've gone through some serious crazy stuff together, but most of it was listening to the Squid Sisters.

Squid Sisters...  
Song...  
Lyra's personal favorite...

Suddenly, I had an idea.

Immediately, I ran for the top of Inkopolis tower. Lyra followed me, wondering what possibly went inside my head. I picked up one of the mics the Squid Sisters were using earlier and held it straight in front of my face.

Lyra's forced me to listen to one particular song several times before the Zapfish incident started. If I remember right, the "words" went like...

 ** _Chan meripo~ shura shurape_**  
 ** _Ran yururi~ re ripa perahi~_**

Lyra then picked up a mic and joined in with me.

 ** _Han yururi~ ne nahira shuraharahi_**  
 ** _Yura nirahara me! Me! Me!_**

Realizing what to do, the bands then began to blare whatever instrument into the speakers. The Inklings instantly recognized the song as they started shooting once more. This time however, their tentacles were glowing vividly, giving off an intense aura of some sort. They were more than ready to protect their homes, and that determination was more than enough to refill the leaking tank!

 ** _Ya! Weri! Mare! Mirekyara_**  
 ** _Kire! Chure! Yunita kyeraso!_**  
 ** _Kire! Hyori! Yuri hera heryuya hara~_**  
 ** _On nyara~on nera nyara mirami melo-_**

That station was definitely coming close. Any minute more, and Lyra and I would definitely be the first to go. However, the Inklings and Octarians weren't going to let that happen as they all continued to filling the tank with... giant rockets? Bazookas? Endless amounts of bombs!? Where'd they get all that stuff!? No matter, I was going to lead them to the end, and I was going to sing if it kills me.

 ** _Na! Mire! Chute! Mirekyara_**  
 ** _Hyara! Mire! Yunita kyeraso!_**  
 ** _Kire! Hyori! Yuri hera heryuya hara~_**  
 ** _On nyrara~on nera NYARA MIRAMI MELODY!_**

The machine went way past it's capacity! The tank rumbled with unease, and shot out a powerful rainbow-like ink shot before it exploded. We all watched as the ink splattered the station. The station instantly exploded, debris scattering throughout the air. We officially did it... Inkopolis is saved!

I heard a sudden meowing right behind me. I looked back and saw that my cat followed me up the tower.

"How did you get here?" I asked, "And more importantly, what do you want?"

The furry nuisance reached out for something behind his back. In an instant, he threw out flags of varying color. In an instant, every Inkling cheered. Does that mean that we've won?

The plaza was filled with bands playing that same song earlier to celebrate their victory against certain death. Inklings and Octarians began singing along as well. Lyra looks at me with happiness as she pats me on the back. I could tell that she's a little sad that my helmet broke, but she was proud that I got my word out nonetheless.

"THANK YOU INKOPOLIS, AND GOODNIGHT!" I screamed as I jumped off from the tower. Not sure why I did though, but I could slowly gush myself down. These boots were able to slow my descent."

But it wasn't the ground I was descending into. It was a strange ball of light. Immediately, I was blinded.

When my vision became clear again, the plaza was gone. The Inklings were gone. I looked around and noticed I was back at my uncle's front yard. The weather seemed dark and gloomy. Am I back in my time? And if so, what time is this?

I heard a door open. I turned around and saw Uncle Thomas, baffled that I was standing right in front of him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ROY!?" he screams, "GET INSIDE NOW!"

I turned around to see a tidal wave approaching fast. The wave was certainly bigger than I anticipated it to be...


	30. Finale - The Grand Splatfest!

Lyra couldn't help but feel worried after Roy suddenly disappeared that night. With no clue as to where he could've gone, she fell into a glum despair that lasted days. Writing in her diary seemed to have calmed her down a little, but having her hand play psychiatrist was not going to soothe her longing to see her friend again. She just laid in bed, deprived of her usual spirits. Linny and Gary often visited her and tried convincing her to go outside, but to no avail she was not interested.

However, if there was one thing that kept her a tiny bit happy, it was the sight of Inkopolis from the comfort of her bedroom. It wasn't easy to make out, but if one looked real closely, they could see the citizens roaming around carefree. This sight wasn't just the usual Inklings roaming around, but also Octarians roaming around as well, happily being accepted as friends. It was nice to see that the dispute has been settled and a crisis was averted. Inkings and Octarians alike, chatting about general topics of sorts and laughing about with each other, it almost felt like a dream. Lyra knew it wasn't, but staying in her bedroom for so long, it might as well be.

One day however, a strange telegram came to her house. The sender was anonymous, but she opened the letter anyway.

" _Wait a second..._ " she thought to herself, " _Wouldn't my parents be worried about this? More importantly, why haven't I seen them lately? Oh well..._ "

The letter was written in a sort of language that a regular human wouldn't be able to decipher, but as an Inkling, Lyra could read perfectly well.

 **Dear Lyra,**

 **We've found something interesting last night. We think you might love this. You know who we are, so maybe hushie-hushie on this? You can find us in OH MY COD, CALLIE WILL YOU STOP POKING ME sorry, I tend to speak as I write and sometimes Callie bothers me while I write. Long story short, meet us at Octo Valley.**

Wondering just what could possibly capture her interest, Lyra made her way into Inkopolis. Making sure nobody else noticed her, she then jumped into the manhole leading to Octo Valley. There, she met the disguised Agents 1 and 2, who were really Callie and Marie. There was something different about the valley this time around. There were several walls and platforms scattered throughout the area.

"OK, so before we start, I have a billion questions to ask," Lyra said.  
"Now, now, let's not get too ahead of ourselves." Marie said, calming her down. She then handed over a mysterious photo to Lyra.

The photo showed a tall figure in what appeared to be a lab coat. This figure seemed to be concealed in the dark, so it was hard to make out the identity of the figure. However, Lyra noticed that this strange figure was lacking some notable features. The mysterious figure in the photo was not an Inkling, but it wasn't an Octarian either.

"Who is this?" She asked the sisters.  
"Don't you recognize him?" Callie asked her. Lyra didn't know how to respond. "Just look at what's written below it!"

There were strange inscriptions below that Lyra couldn't recognize.

"So? What about it?"  
"Well, we had a Squid Researcher translate the document for us, and this is what it said:

 **Dear finder of this letter and photo,**

 **You probably don't know who I am. That's fine. I'm just hoping that this letter goes out and reaches a certain someone. Maybe you are that someone, maybe not... Oh well. But if you are that someone, I am currently back in my own time right now. Strangely enough, we were able to survive the flood! Of course, there's nothing but water here and there... and some debris... and nothing but tuna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I miss those pancakes that cafe served. But all that aside, I'm just wondering how everyone's doing. With a possible war prevented, everyone is now in peace. If only I could live long enough to see everyone again, but I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon. I hope you're not feeling gloomy just because I'm gone. As long as I have my uncle to back me up, I'll do just fine. If I can afford to move forward here, you should also move forward where you are now. Don't falter just because I'm not there anymore. I'm probably somewhere buried in that excavation site. Find that corpse and it's yours to keep! ...Nah, just kidding, but keep your head high.**

...And who do you suppose wrote that?"

It didn't take Lyra long enough for her to realize who wrote this letter. She instantly teared up with joy, knowing that he was alright.

"Oh, and would you look as what it says on the bottom!" Callie shouted suddenly.

 **PS: I know how much you enjoyed the Squid Sisters, but I'm more into that DJ Octavio guy. His beats are wicked sick.**

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the three eyed each other with a similar, identical look.

* * *

 _"Hold on to your tentacles!"_  
 _"It's Inkopolis news time!"_  
 _"Now I know that some of you are still bummed out that today's stages are STILL closed."_  
 _"Jeez, would it kill the crew to clean up the space debris a little FASTER!?"_  
 _"I know! Just how many Inklings does it take to clean up debris from a space station?"_  
 _"Those guys...!"_  
 _"But enough about that! We've received word from... on high."_  
 _"You're not suggesting...!"_  
 _"That's right! A Splatfest is approaching!"_  
 _"What's the theme? Hurry it up!"_  
 _"Alright... the theme is..."_

 _ **MUSIC BATTLE ROYALE!**_

 _"Who in Inkopolis has the freshest music of all!?"_  
 _"Isn't the answer obvious?"_  
 _"Is it the cool and hip, wicked sip, Squid Sisters?"_  
 _"...Or the melody mistresses of pop and rock, the Squid Sisters?"_

 _"..."_

 _"...Wait a second, YOU'RE ON TEAM SISTERS!?"_  
 _"I could ask you the same thing! Also, 'cool and hip, wicked sip'? What was that all about?"_  
 _"Hey, it had to rhyme! ...Ya phat crime!"_  
 _"Callie what are you eve- oh, forget it."_  
 _"But if we're both representing Team Sisters, then what's the other team?"_

 _"I hope I'm not barging in on your little morning announcements, but did you forget who DUBSTOMPED that space station to bits?"_  
 _"It's you...!"_  
 _"GWAHAHA! That's right, fools! We all know that I, Octavio, not only WRECKED THAT THING TO THE GROUND, but also have the most refined music in all the world."_  
 _"Whoa, bud! Not true! Not only are you wrong about stopping that thing, but you're also wrong about your music! Clearly, ours is better."_  
 _"Oi! That's where you lots be wrong! You didn't forget 'bout our little show, didja?"_  
 _"Hightide? What are you doing here!?"_  
 _"Just tryin' to set the fact straight: Our band is better."_  
 _"I kinda disagree with that notion."_  
 _"Oy! Jellyfish girl! Butt outta this, why don'tcha?"_  
 _"Sorry, but everyone in Chirpy Chirps works real hard in their music! I think it's right to say that we're the best band in Inkopolis!"_  
 _"Hey, everyone! Can you kinda step outta the way? You're flooding the studio!"_

 _"...So in the end, this is Sisters vs. Octavio vs. Hightide vs. Chirps? Wow, a 4-way Splatfest! We've never had those before!"_  
 _"Hold on a second, aren't all the stages still on lockdown? We can't have our Splatfest if we can't battle ANYWHERE!"_  
 _"Not so fast. I've provided an arena suitable for solving this dispute. I'm willing to make my santuary, Octo Valley, open to the public!"_  
 _"How noice, but generosity ain't gettin ya bonus points. Our band's still gonna win!"_

 _"Guys, we can escalate this argument later. The camera's still rolling!"_  
 _"It is? Well in that case..."_

 _ **STAY FRESH~!**_

 _"...ANDALSOVOTEFORTEAMSISTERSBECAUSECALLIEISTHEBEST"_

 _"...Hey, what about the Squid Squa-"_

* * *

 **Octricia - Team Octavio**

"Now listen up, troops!" I told my squad, "I could've picked anybody else to represent as champions of Team Octavio, but I figured that you three will have to do!"

Ochtung looked puzzled, "Isn't zhat because ve're zhe only vones in your group?" Bill and Bob snickered stupidly. I'd normally bark at the two for being stupid as usual, but today felt different today...

"Anyways, Octavio has given us the task of winning this 'Splatfest' in his name. Failure to do so will result in death, so DON'T FAIL!"

Again, Bill and Bob laughed stupidly, "Failure to do so will result in him bein' stuffed in a snowglobe! Da boss shouldna made a bet against the Cap'n!"

Furious as I was at their remarks, it was true. Octavio still hasn't lifted his grudge against Cuttlefish, and made a bet with him as his last shot at revenge. Should Team Sisters lose this splatfest, Cuttlefish will be forced to disband the Squidbeak Splatoon for good. Should Team Octavio lose... well, he's just going to have to cope in a snowglobe for who knows how long.

But orders are orders. Even if we are at peace with the Inklings, I still have to fulfill this mission in the name of Octavio. My faith lies undeterred.

"Troops, roll out!"  
"Hah! We're already out! Heck, we've been standin in front of Inkopolis Tower, talkin' 'bout the plan for quite some time now..."  
"Shut up, Bob."

* * *

 **Lyra - Team Sisters**

As the doors opened, I found myself at the ground of Octo Valley. With all the lights glowing around at night, the place looked really beautiful. I loved what they did with the place! I looked around to see more of this place, but I dropped my weapon in shock to see my "teammates".

"Hey! Isn't that cheating? And why is CUTTLEFISH here!?"  
"It's not cheating if nobody knows it's us!" Callie winks at me in her new disguise.  
"As for me, I was a veteran back in me day, so this'll be just kid's play!" Cuttlefish shouts with enthusiasm.

To prove how "fresh" he was, Cuttlefish then proceeded to do a couple of warm-up stretches, only to pull a muscle and topple to the ground.

"Hrrgh! Call an ambulance for me, lass! I'm keelhauling over here!"  
"Grandpa! Are you alright!?" Marie shouted.

An ambulance soon came to pick him up. The three of us watched as we saw the ambulance drive him off into the sunset, into a hospital that's who-knows-how-far from here.

"A 3v4v4v4!? WHAT DO WE DO!?" Callie panicked.  
"Don't worrry," I assued her, "I've always gone 3v4 with my other friends, so this'll be a cinch!"  
"Lyra's right, we should all remain calm and keep a cool head." Marie followed.

 **READY?**

 **GO!**

The game was afoot! It was going to be one heck of a Splatfest, but Marie yanked on my hoodie as I stepped off the Respawn Pad.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot about your present! Happy Birthday!"  
"What? But my birthday was three days ag-"  
"Tomorrow!? Wow! I guess I just can't help myself. Here you go!"

She handed me a present. This was strange behavior, even for her. Of course, I knew that something shady was going on when she acted this way, and I'm supposed to find out what it is.

"Alright, let's just get this over with. Time's ticking."

I opened the box to find myself the headpiece I've used during my missions as an agent. I don't know whether to be proud that I am privileged to wear it, or disappointed that this was a waste of time. Of course, I guess I'll find out once I actually put it on.

As I put it on, a mysterious, unfamiliar voice rang out on the other end.

 _"H.y, ca. y.u hea. me?"_  
"Huh? Who is this?"  
 _"Ah, so you can hear me! How's it going, Lyra?"_  
"Well, we're in the middle of a Splatfest right now an- Hey, how did you know my name?"  
 _"How? Well that isn't important right now."_  
"Who are you?"  
 _"I'm not telling you that either, but you're going to do exactly as I tell you to if you wanna win this Splatfest."_

* * *

 **Linny - Team Hightide**

Omigosh! This is like, IT! Like, REALLY REALLY IT! The grand finale! The moment I've been waiting too long for, the moment YOU'VE been waiting too long for, the moment LunchKing just COULDN'T GET TO EARLIER BECAUSE HE'S A LAZY BUM! UGH!

Anyways, I just kept blazing through Inklings like nothing with my Roller. Just went all BLAM BLAM with em and sent em back to their Spawn Points. I've managed to secure the Skatepark Sector of Octo Valley (I'm officially giving these islands their names now) and sent my team off to the Tall Brick Tower Sector. I just stood there, admiring the handiwork of me and my team, but then I saw Lyra approaching this way!

I know we're friends Lyra, but you can't keep me from my Super Sea Snails!

I rushed down to roll her over, ready to take her down! She made the clever move of dodging. Smart cookie she is, but I've improved during our mission! I know exactly where she'd be: right behind me! I quickly turned and swung down my Roller! She then exploded in an orange mess as her spirit flew into the air.

"Bye-bye, Lyra! I hate doing this, but those Sea Snails are mine!"

I turned around and decided to place beacons while my teammates were busy capturing other sectors of the Valley.

But before I could even start, I froze. Something was wrong. Dead wrong. I looked back at the mess that I had made of her. The clothes she left behind was a pink parka, complete with a football helmet and winter boots.

That... That wasn't Lyra. But if that's not Lyra, then where is she...

* * *

 **Gary - Team Chirps**

It was bound to happen, Lyra splatted Linny with great ease. Sorry Linny, but Rollers aren't effective against shooters. I, however, have the upper hand against the both of you; I'm a Charger, and I can pick you off anywhere I wanted, provided I myself am cautious. I've splatted those taking over the tall tower and told the others to spread out. I thought the best course of action for me would be to prevent others from reaching this tower.

Just as I was walking, a glob of purple just grazed my ear. I turned toward the source and found Ochtung taking another aim at me.

"A sniper battle? You picked the wrong opponent!"  
"You needn't concern my skill, noble Gary. I vill shoot you down vith ease!"

We each exchanged a fair amount of shots, none of us showed any signs of fatigue. We were seriously going all out on this one, and the situation might be worse for the both of us if we keep up at it. Suddenly, I heard a Splat Bomb whirring as it tumbled in front of us. Both Ochtung and I managed to jump out of the way before we were caught in the explosion. We saw who threw the bomb: Lyra.

"Temporary truce, ja?" Ochtung offered.

As tempting as it is to splat him, Lyra's closing in and that's no good. I take his truce and we both aim our Chargers at Lyra. There's no way she'll make it past us with two snipers on the line!

But for every shot we took, she somehow dodged them! It was like she knew where we were firing! Even the most impossible-to-dodge shots were evaded!

"I don't know about you, but I'm bailing!" I told Ochtung as I prepared to Super Jump back to spawn. Being an Octarian, I don't know if he was able to either, but I don't have time to worry about others; I'm getting those Sea Snails back!

* * *

 **1 MINUTE REMAINING!**

I kept spraying ink wherever I could. I don't have time to check and see if my area was cleaned, this is all or nothing for me and my team! I've made my way to the central area of the valley. Not so surprisingly, I've met my friends there. I'd love to chat, but I have to win for my team! I need to win this! Sorry, but you're all going to get splatted!

 _ **10!**_

 _ **9!**_

 _ **8!**_

 _ **7!**_

 _ **6!**_

 _ **5!**_

 _ **4!**_

 _ **3!**_

 _ **2!**_

 _ **1!**_

 _ **GAME! STOP FIGHTING!**_ ** _以上の一致!_**

...

...

...

The match was over... Did my team win...?

 _ **THIS GAME'S WINNER IS...**_


End file.
